Return to the Cursed Realm
by FirstFandomFangirl
Summary: When Lloyd Garmadon finds Morro living in an alley, the Ninja discover that the Cursed Realm wasn't destroyed when the Preeminent was defeated. Morro and the Ninja immediately set off to try and rescue Lloyd's father, but almost nothing goes as planned. Takes place after S5. MorroXOC Rated Kplus for romance and minimal violence. The first 3 chapters have been rewritten!
1. Lloyd

**Greetings, readers! FirstFandomFangirl here with the first chapter of my star fanfiction, Return to the Cursed Realm.**

 **...for clarification, this is a rewrite of the first chapter. As of this moment, I only have the first three chapters rewritten, but I plan to do up to six or seven before leaving the rest of the story as it is. You can read the old chapters at the end of the book.**

 **...and I know I was gonna say something else here. What was it?**

 **Ah, that's right! Though this story is complete, feel 100% free to spam me with reviews by reviewing on every one of the 54 chapters. I would love that. :D**

 **Happy reading!**

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Lloyd Garmadon was the green ninja.

By the title, it sounded like the best job in the world. Epic powers, being able to right wrongs and punish the wicked, and being the most popular person in the country. He got to live with the ninja, too, who were his best friends in the world. He honestly couldn't imagine life without them. However, there were bad things about it as well. Sometimes he lost and was injured, or, worse, the other ninja were. He couldn't go out in public without a disguise, or he would be swarmed by fans, wanting anything from a picture of him to a literal piece of him. It was like being eaten alive. Sometimes he would lose someone very close to him. Forever.

The particular instance that Lloyd was thinking of, as he wandered aimlessly through the complex of alleyways on the west side of New Ninjago City, was his father. Montgomery Garmadon, Lloyd's father, had sacrificed himself to stop a villain from taking over Ninjago a little under a year ago. Not by death, but by banishment to the biggest prison in the sixteen Realms: The Cursed Realm. Until about three months ago, Lloyd had clung to the hope that he might one day get him back from the ghost-infested realm. Then, about three months ago, Lloyd's hopes were crushed when the Cursed Realm was destroyed.

The last time Lloyd had seen his father, he had been chained between two poles, on his knees like a common criminal. It was all Morro's fault. The late wind master had escaped the Cursed Realm when Lloyd's father had allowed himself to be banished, then used his abilities to possess Lloyd's body in a sick plan for revenge. He had failed, and was now gone for good, but his father had been killed in the process. Lloyd almost wished that he had never let himself be banished in the first place. That Chen had succeeded in taking over the world. A world without his father was almost worse than a world ruled by Chen.

Lloyd had relied heavily on his family the last few months for comfort and support. His mom and uncle were devastated as well, of course, but no one was as affected as Lloyd. His father was more than just his guardian, he was his companion, his mentor, his sensei, and his best friend. The other ninja were his best friends too, of course, but none of them could replace his father. Not even Kai, though the red ninja had took it upon himself to act as a father to him.

Lloyd almost jumped out of his skin when a loud, metallic crash startled him out of his thoughts. Instinctively, he reached for his hood, only to remember that he wasn't wearing it. He was in casual clothing, as he had been trying to avoid being recognized as the green ninja. Instead, he grabbed the hood of the hoodie he was wearing, pulling it over his head. Better than nothing. The crash sounded again as he ran towards the source, flattening himself against the wall as he got close. He wasn't sure what to expect. A tramp digging in the garbage? Whatever it was, it was his job to check it out. Besides, he was curious. As the noise sounded a third time, Lloyd peeked around the corner. A glowing figure was rifling through a trash can with his back to him. So he was right. But why were they glowing? And why did they look so… familiar? As he continued to watch, the figure glanced up and spotted him, instantly jumping back in shock. Whirling around, the figure fled, but not before Lloyd could recognize him. Green skin, tattered robes, a green streak in his jet-black hair… Lloyd inhaled sharply, backing away in alarm.

" _Morro?!_ "

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 **Definitely an improvement over the old first chapter.**

 **~FFF**


	2. Morro?

"Morro?!" Lloyd exclaimed in disbelief.

"Go away." Morro muttered, backing into a dark alleyway. Oh, gladly. More than anything, the green ninja wanted to run and not look back. But… Morro was alive. How?Could… could his father be alive? The only person he could ask was… Morro. He swallowed his fear and kept talking.

"How are you here? Sensei saw you die. Again."

"None of your business." The ghost hissed. Was Morro… scared? He was acting like it. The old Morro would have jumped on him, attacking him before he had a chance to react. Though every instinct he had screamed not to, Lloyd edged closer.

"I won't hurt you." The blond boy ventured. Morro was silent, but his stance betrayed that he was ready to run. After a few moments, Lloyd asked, "How did you survive?"

"I said that's none of your business! Leave me alone!" the ghost turned and fled into the passage, vanishing into the shadows. The green ninja started to go after him, but stopped. There was no point. If he followed, Morro might attack him after all. He wanted to run. Morro could be anywhere. He didn't feel safe. However, he forced himself to think. Morro might have information on his father. He had to get him to trust him somehow. For now, he should go home. The others would get worried if he was out too long by himself. After a moment, the green ninja turned around, heading back the way he had come. A soft rustling sound caught his attention, and he looked over his shoulder to see a pair of pale-green eyes watching him from the alley. Morro. A shudder running through him, Lloyd broke into a run. He couldn't get back home too soon.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Lloyd pushed open the front door of his father's old Monastery, which was where he and the others had been staying for the past few months. Almost immediately, he smelled food, and soon found his family gathered around the dinner table. He started to turn and leave before anyone noticed him, as he wasn't hungry, but Cole spotted him and shouted with a cheerful grin,

"Oh, there you are, Lloyd! You got here just in time! Come have some of Zane's puffy pot stickers!" Lloyd returned the smile halfheartedly, but shook his head.

"No thanks. I'm not hungry." Turning around, he quickly retreated to his room. He heard the others talking, sounding confused, as he walked up the stairs towards his bedroom. He could explain later. For now, he needed to try to think of something he could do to gain Morro's trust. The blond boy sat down on his bed, lying back on his pillow and staring up at the ceiling. Even if he did get Morro to trust him somehow, would he be able to trust him back? And, if he couldn't trust Morro, there was no way he would be able to get Morro to trust him.

"Lloyd?" the green ninja was startled out of his thoughts by a soft knock on his door, and he sat up as he replied,

"Come in." The door opened, and his uncle stepped through the doorway. "Hey." Lloyd greeted him with a small smile.

"Hello." Sensei walked over, returning the smile as he sat down on the edge of Lloyd's bed. "Your behavior a few minutes ago was… odd. Is something bothering you?" The blond boy nodded. "What is it?" Lloyd hesitated, then took a deep breath before answering,

"I saw Morro." Sensei blinked.

" _Morro?_ Are you sure?"

"Positive. I talked to him."

"…well." Sensei stroked his beard in wonder. "Did he attack you?"

"No. He ran away. I think he's as scared of me as I am of him." Lloyd hesitated, then continued. "I… as much as I hate him, you said he changed in the end, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Do you think I would be able to gain his trust?"

"Perhaps. But why? You fear him, do you not?"

"I- yeah, but… if he's alive…"

"You think your father may be as well?" Uncle finished.

"Yeah. Do you think…?" Lloyd stared up at his uncle with a hopeful expression on his face, reminding Sensei that, as much as he looked like a teenager, he was still a child.

"…I don't know." The elderly man replied at last. "But there is certainly hope." He pulled his nephew into an embrace, which was happily returned.

"…Uncle?" Lloyd asked after a few moments. "How can I get Morro to trust me?"

"Where did you see him?"

"On the west side of the city, digging through a trash can."

"Then he has no reliable supply of food. Perhaps you could give him some, as a peace offering."

"Ghosts need to eat?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Okay. Next time I go over there, then, I'll bring some food. Maybe I'll see him." Lloyd closed his eyes resting his head on his uncle's shoulder. The two hugged for a few seconds more before the blond boy pulled away, saying, "Speaking of food, I'm hungry. I hope Cole didn't eat all of the food." He grinned, standing up. Sensei followed suit, and the two walked back downstairs in search of something to eat.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Lloyd walked silently through the dark alleys where he had last seen Morro, a shiny, green apple clutched in one hand. He wore a simple green jacket and jeans, as he didn't want to scare the ghost away by wearing his ninja suit. It had been almost a week since his talk with Sensei, and he had finally worked up the nerve to try to befriend the ghost. He was nervous. No, he was scared. Since he didn't want to scare Morro away, he had brought no weapons, but he had no guarantee that the wind master was similarly unarmed. Besides, just the thought of trying to befriend the person who possessed him and tortured him was almost enough to send him running back home. But, he had to try, for his father's sake. Lloyd was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he almost didn't notice the gentle patter of footsteps nearby. Instantly, the green ninja snapped into a ninja stance, resisting the urge to flatten himself against a wall to hide. Slowly, steadily, he crept forward, in the direction he had heard the footsteps going. Was it Morro? Or someone else? He heard a metallic clatter, and was struck with déjà vu for a moment. He turned the corner and saw, half alarming him and half relieving him, Morro. The ghost was facing away as he searched though a trash can. In one hand he held, what looked like, a moldy orange. Ew. He was really forced to eat things like that? Lloyd felt sorry for him. After a few seconds of standing there nervously, the blond boy worked up the courage to call out.

"Morro?" Morro startled violently and whirled around, his pale eyes open wide. "Sorry." Lloyd apologized quickly.

"W-what are you doing here?! I told you to go away!" the ghost stuttered slightly as he backed away, trying to calm his breathing. Lloyd hesitated, then held out the apple.

"I brought you something." Morro's angry expression faded as his eyes focused on the fruit, his face reading confusion instead. After a few tense moments, the ghost took a step closer, then another, snatching the fruit from the blond boy's grasp before quickly backing away.

"…thank you…" Morro said quietly, not meeting his eyes. With that, he turned away, slinking back into the darkness with his prize. Lloyd let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding, and turned around to go home.

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 **I can't believe I didn't have an A/N at the top. That's so weird. I've never done that before.**

 ***dabs***

 **~FFF**


	3. Trust

**These just keep getting longer and longer.**

 **This is the last rewrite chapter for now. It may take a while to get the others written and published, since it's been like a month since I actually wrote this stuff and just finished typing it in...**

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Over the next couple of weeks, Morro and Lloyd began to trust each other. Every couple of days, Lloyd would bring Morro food, and the ghost grew less and less skittish around him. The blond boy was no longer afraid that Morro would attack him, and he hoped the wind master felt the same about him. Unfortunately, the ghost still refused to tell him how he had gotten there. In fact, every time he brought it up, the wind master would shake his head and vanish into an alley. Because of this, Lloyd was no closer to finding out if his father was alive than when he started. Finally, after almost three weeks since he had first given food to Morro, the green ninja decided to try a different tactic. After taking two apples from the Monastery's kitchen, Lloyd ran all the way to the city, then walked through the alleys until he came to Morro's, where the ghost was waiting for him. Jumping up from the box he had been sitting on, the wind master took the fruit, muttering his thanks before sitting down again and biting into one of the apples. Lloyd hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Morro?" The ghost looked up at him. "You don't like living in an alley, do you?"

"Of course not." Morro muttered, looking back down at the apple in his hand. "It's cold, dark, and most days I have nothing to eat but garbage. Why, do you want to live here?" he asked sarcastically.

"No, I just-"

"Good." The ghost interrupted. "I don't know if I could stand your company any more than I already have to." Lloyd's heart sank. If he disliked him that much, he would almost definitely refuse what he was about to offer him. But he had to try.

"What I was going to say was…" the blond started. "…if you wanted to live at the Monastery."

"What?" Morro looked up at him, shock and suspicious reading clearly on his face. "Didn't we just establish that I can't stand you?"

"No. but, I mean… just as a shelter. You'd be free to come and go whenever you want. It can't be safe for you out here, you're at the mercy of the elements."

"No." Lloyd's heart sank.

"Why not?"

"I'm not stupid. I know the only thing you want from me is information." Morro looked almost smug.

"Wh- no I don't!" Lloyd defended himself.

"Sure." The ghost said flatly.

"Maybe when I first saw you, I did. But not anymore. I'm honestly worried about you. I don't want you to have to live here." The blond boy explained. "It's just what friends do." Morro raised an eyebrow.

"We're friends?"

"I don't know. I want to be." The green ninja shook his head. "Just… just think about it. If you need a place to stay, you're welcome to come to the Monastery." With that, Lloyd turned around and began to walk away.

"Wait!" He stopped at the sound of Morro's voice, and turned around to see the ghost jumping to his feet. "If… if I did come, wouldn't the others make me leave?"

"Not if I told them not to." The wind master was silent for a few, long moments, looking down at the ground.

"I'll think about it." He said at last. Lloyd's face broke into a grin, and Morro's frown deepened. "That doesn't mean yes."

"I know. But it's better than no." Still smiling, the blond boy turned around and began the walk home.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Morro stared after the retreating green ninja, trying to sort out his thoughts. He _knew_ Lloyd was only being this nice to him to get information on his father. He couldn't be genuinely worried about him… could he? But… he did seem so… kind. When he had possessed him, he had never seen a single selfish thought in his head. He had been afraid for himself, of course, but mostly he was afraid for his friends. Morro had despised it then. But now… was Lloyd really that pure? He used to hate him because he was the green ninja, but he knew now that he was wrong, that Lloyd deserved that title. Should he take him up on his offer? Maybe he would. Morro looked up at the sky, noting the approaching storm clouds. He would need a place to take shelter, and, though there were abandoned buildings all around him, the Monastery would be safer. That is, if the other ninja didn't attack him. As he turned to leave the alley, he spotted a figure crouching on a nearby rooftop. Them again. Whoever it was had been stalking Lloyd for the past week, watching him every time he came to visit.

"I know you're there." He called loudly. "Go away." The figure stiffened, but didn't move. "I said go!" Quickly, the figure retreated, standing up and running away out of view. Maybe he should tell Lloyd. He could tell him when he came to the Monastery, he decided, and turned around to head back to his base.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

At the Garmadon Monastery, the Ninja and co. were eating dinner. Wu's newest students, Ness, Tellen, and Anna, were bickering over which one was best at Spinjitzu.

"I'm obviously the best." Tellen said in his best authoritive voice. "I've completed the training course flawlessly over thirty times."

"That just means you're a slow learner!" Red-haired Anna chirped. "I mastered it after only twelve tries!"

"I've said I've done it thirty times _perfectly_ , not it took thirty tries to get it right!" Tellen shot back. Ness rolled her eyes, letting out a dramatic sigh.

"None of us can even _do_ Spinjitzu, you _dweebs_. Every time we try, we _fall over_." She pointed out in an annoyed voice. Tellen and Anna blinked.

"Yeah, but, if we could, I'd be spinning you two silly!" the youngest girl squealed after a moment, effectively rekindling the argument. Kai groaned and let his head drop into his hands.

"Are you guys _ever_ going to stop?" he demanded. Nya smiled and patted his shoulder.

"Why don't you kids ask Zane? I'm sure he can tell you who's- well, who would be the best." The students quickly turned to Zane the white ninja of ice, who clarified that Ness would be the best. This stopped their previous argument, but the three quickly found something else to argue about, which was whether or not robots could predict the future (Anna was convinced of it). It was about then that Lloyd decided to speak up.

"So you guys know that I've been bringing food to Morro for a couple weeks now, right?" The others murmured their agreement. They had initially tried to stop him from doing so, but he had argued with them until they had agreed to let him go. "Well… today I invited him to come live with us." The blond boy winced as the chaos he had anticipated filled the room.

" _Morro?!_ Live with _us?!_ " Jay demanded. "No way! I'd sooner live with a snake!"

"Bringing him food is bad enough, but inviting him to _live with us?!_ Out of the question!" Kai snapped.

"I trust Morro." Lloyd said quietly. "I've been bringing him food for weeks now, and he's never laid a hand on me."

"So? He's _Morro!_ For all you know, he's lulling you into a false sense of security so he can possess you and kill us all!"

"He doesn't act anything like that!" Lloyd glared at him. "I'm trying to gain his trust, not the other way around! And, if he was, I would have thought he would accept my offer."

"Wait, he didn't?" Cole spoke up.

"No. He said no at first, then said he would think about it. And I told him that you guys wouldn't harass him if he did accept, so you better not." The blond boy narrowed his eyes, glaring daggers at them. They were silent, and he continued. "Even if he does turn out to be evil, we can take him. We have a water ninja, don't we?" He gestured to Nya. "He took us by surprise last time. If he comes here, we can keep an eye on him. Alright?" In the moment of silence that followed, a crack of thunder resonated through the monastery.

"Wasn't me." Jay spoke up. Ignoring him, Lloyd pushed his chair back and stood up.

"I'm going to go find Morro."

"Wh- why?!" Kai demanded.

"To make sure he has shelter from the storm."

"I won't let you do that."

"I'm not asking you for permission." Before any of them could stop him, he left the room, heading down the hallway towards the front door.

"Let him go." He heard Sensei speak up. "He knows what he's doing." Thanks, Sensei. Opening the front door, Lloyd hurried out into the night.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Morro sat against the wall in an empty building, listening to the rain hitting the roof above him. He probably should have gone to the Monastery while he had the chance. It was storming now, there was no way he was getting there without being killed. He could wait it out. Leaning forward and resting his head on his knees, the ghost was about to try to go to sleep when he heard his name called.

"Morro!" the wind master jerked his head up, his eyes flying open as he tried to locate the source of the voice. Lloyd? "Morro! Wow, it's cold out here." Standing up, Morro moved towards a hole in the wall and looked out to see the green ninja, walking through the pouring rain and shivering as he hugged his arms to his chest. What was he doing out here? In the middle of a storm, no less. Looking for him?

"Lloyd?" he called out. The blond boy looked up at him immediately, his face lighting up as he caught sight of him. "What are you doing out in a storm?! Get over here!" Obeying, Lloyd ran towards him, stepping through the large hole and backing away to get out of the rain. Once he was inside, Morro asked again, "What were you doing out there? That's dangerous even for you!"

"I wanted to m-make sure you had shelter, and the rain c-caught me by surprise." The blond boy replied, stuttering slightly from the cold. The ghost sighed, sitting down against the wall again as Lloyd ran a hand over his hair to squeeze the water out.

"Well, you're not getting back to the Monastery through this, so you might as well stay."

"I can go find another place to spend the night if you want." The green ninja offered. "I know you don't like me."

"No, that's not safe." Morro shook his head. "There are too many people here who would attack you if they found you asleep. Stay here."

"Have you ever been attacked?"

"I'm incorporeal when I'm asleep. No one can touch me."

"Good point." Lloyd sat down against the wall opposite him, and there were a few moments of silence before he spoke again. "I don't think you hate me as much as you say you do."

"Thinking isn't good for you."

"You just said you didn't want me leaving because I might get attacked. That means you care about me."

"No I don't."

"Then why-"

"Stop interrogating me or I _will_ kick you out."

"Okay." Neither of them spoke for the rest of the night, and eventually they both drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, when Lloyd went back to the Monastery, Morro came with him.

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 ***dabs***

 **~FFF**


	4. Infromation

**Hello, and welcome once again to Return to the Cursed Realm! I actually wrote 2 chapters since I last posted (nice long ones too :D) so I'll probably get both of those out today. Maybe. I'm really tired because I'm sick. But you'll get two chapters one of these days. :)**

 **Review replies:**

 **NinjaMelissa: Yes, quite interesting. Bet you can't wait to meet those two. ;D**

 **Guest: Thanks so much! I love getting positive reviews! Jessica Danger, hmm? Interesting name. Is that her real name? If I put her in I will definitely take away her wind powers, since that would just be so much trouble for poor Morro.**

 **BlackRoseDragon: Midna, go away. I'm trying to post here. Ahem. I try to post at least one chapter every day. :)**

 **Also, Tellen, Ness, and Anna are some of my little siblings' fan characters. They won't have much of a role in the story, but they sure are funny. :D**

 **Oh, and before I forget, could you guys please not swear in reviews? I really really dislike swearing. Thanks!**

 **And oooon to the stoooory!**

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Chapter 4

Morro rarely showed himself in the monastery, and even when he did he was skulking through the shadows. Lloyd had hoped that Morro living with them would encourage him to open up to them, but if anything he was only closing up more. Probably the fact that almost everyone either glared at him or watched him fearfully whenever he was near wasn't helping anything. He tried to speak wo Kai once, but Kai brushed him off, so he'd refused to speak to anyone but Lloyd since, until about five days after his arrival.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

It was dinnertime in the monastery. Morro was eat with them for once, and the students were arguing over which one was the coolest ninja. Tellen thought it was Cole, Ness thought it was Nya, and Anna thought it was Zane ("He has ice powers! He has to be the COOLEST!"). Kai was groaning about a headache, Cole and Jay were arguing over why Tellen thought Cole was cooler than Jay, Zane was having a silent conversation with P.I.X.A.L., the A.I. that lived in his head, Lloyd was talking with his mother, Misako, and Sensei was thinking about how once burned down the training course. In a lull in chaos, Morro spoke up.

"I need to say something." Everyone stopped talking and looked at Morro, surprised that he was talking to them. Kai shot him a glare, but Morro ignored it. "I... suppose I owe you an apology." Morro paused. Lloyd could tell that what he was saying wasn't exactly helping his pride. "For taking Lloyd's body and using it to attack you. I was jealous that he became the Green Ninja. Now I see why destiny picked him." Morro shot a glance at Lloyd, who gave him a supportive smile. Morro took a deep breath and continued. "I'm sorry. I hope someday you can forgive me." Morro looked straight at Kai, who was still glaring at him. "Also, Lloyd, you asked how I survived." Lloyd's eyes widened. Morro was finally going to tell him! "The Cursed Realm wasn't destroyed when the Preeminent was defeated." Morro glanced around the room to gauge the others' reactions. Lloyd looked shocked, Kai STILL looked mad, and everyone else looked doubtful (except the students, they weren't really listening.). "There is a portal in there that allowed me to escape once again once I "died" with the Preeminent." Morro continued. "It's connected with a portal inside Mount Vetruvius."

"Mount Vetruvius? You mean that super hot active volcano way over in east Ninjago?" Jay frowned.

"Yes."

"Oh. Well, that's okay. I mean, why would we want to go to the Cursed Realm anyway?" Jay smiled awkwardly. There was a moment of silence before Lloyd spoke up.

"So we can rescue my father."

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"Okay, so is everyone clear with the plan?" Cole tapped his pointer on a map of Ninjago.

"I'm not!" Anna spoke up.

"Anna, we've been over this." Sensei Wu said. "You're too young. You're staying here with the other students." Anna folded her arms and pouted.

"I have already loaded the plan into my databases, but it would probably be wise to go over it one last time." Zane suggested.

"Okay. This," Cole pointed to a house shape on the map. "is us. We're here. And this..." Cole dragged the pointer all the way to the other side of the map. "Is where we're trying to get to. And since there's no transportation systems directly there, we're going to have to walk a ways. There's a train to Stiix, but that's the closest we can get before we start walking."

"Remind me why we don't just drive there?" Jay asked.

"Our vehicles are all broken from the Preeminent battle, and Nya doesn't have time to fix them before we leave." Cole explained. "Anyway, that's just the first part. After that we have to trek through miles of tunnels in an active volcano, which we'll mostly likely get lost in because Morro doesn't remember exactly which way he went."

"Would you?" Morro demanded from the back.

"I wasn't blaming you!" Cole put up his hands non-threateningly before turning back to the map. "So, somewhere in there, if we survive, is a portal. That portal opens up, surprise, on the opposite side of the Cursed Realm from Sensei Garmadon. So we have a lot of walking to do.

"My feet hurt just thinking about it." Jay groaned.

"Sound's good to me." Kai said, his feet resting on the back of Jay's chair. "When do we leave?"

"As soon as we can." Lloyd replied firmly. "Maybe tomorrow."

"Also, who exactly is going? I know we Ninja are, but who else?" Nya spoke up.

"The six Ninja and Morro are going." Sensei Wu replied. "Misako and I must stay here with the students."

"But WHY?!" Ness whined. "We want to fight bad guys too!"

"Well someone has to watch over old Sensei." Kai winked at Ness and she brightened up almost instantly. Kai, however, got a bop on the head from Sensei's staff. "Ow!"

"It's settled then." Misako said calmly. "Start packing, Ninja. You leave tomorrow."

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"I added a little something extra." Misako gave her son a warm smile as she handed him a knapsack full of food.

"Oh mom, you always do." Lloyd hugged his mother tightly before walking through a doorway to join the others. The Ninja were wearing traveling gear instead of their Ninja suits, since the suits weren't exactly built for cross-country traveling. Even Morro was wearing an old outfit of Lloyd's, since they were about the same size. Each member of the party was wearing a large backpack full of various supplies. Sensei Wu and the students were standing off to the side making final preparations for the journey. Ness stared at the bag in front of her and frowned.

"Now, what am I forgetting?" she mused.

"Did you already get the stuff for Jay?" Tellen asked.

"Yep." Ness replied.

"And the stuff for Cole?"

"Yep."

"And the hard hats for us?"

"Oh! That's what I forgot!" Ness grabbed three hard hats from under the table and handed them out to the other two students. They grinned at each other and did a fist bump.

"Time to go, guys!" Nya called from the front hall.

"Alright!" Kai called to her before turning to Sensei and Misako. "Don't worry, we'll bring Sensei Garmadon back."

"I certainly hope you do." Sensei smiled.

"Take care of Lloyd." Misako reminded him.

"I can take care of myself, Mom!" Lloyd argued from across the room. Misako only laughed.

"Kai! Guys! Let's go!" Nya called impatiently. After a couple more quick goodbyes, the Ninja and Morro headed out the front door and began the long walk down the hill that the Garmadon Monastery was located on. After slipping on her hard hat, Anna called from behind them,

"Don't worry guys! We'll take care of old Sensei!" Sensei bopped her on the head with his staff, but it didn't do any good because of her hard hat, so he settled for poking her in the side instead. The Ninja laughed at their antics (even Morro smiled) and continued walking towards the city.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"5,839,212 bottles of tea on the wall, 5,839,212 bottles of tea! You take one down, pass it around, there's 5,839,211 bottles of tea on the wall! 5,839,211 bottles of tea on the wall..." the Ninja sang as they strode across a large open field. They had gotten a fair amount of the way already using trains, cars, and even bicycles once. However, as there was almost no one living anywhere near Mount Vetruvius, they were forced to walk the rest of the way. Since the area they were walking in was incredibly boring (only rocks and shrubs for miles), the Ninja had taken to singing long, rambling traveling songs, much to Morro's discomfort. After about an hour, the sun had set and they stopped the song to set up camp, for which Morro was greatly relieved. After a light meal and some very non-scary ghost stories, the Ninja went to bed. Morro stayed up, unable to sleep for various reasons. But not even he noticed a yellow-green bush moving steadily towards the camp...

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 **DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN! OH THE CLIFFHANGERS and yes, I do like saying that.**

 **Bye students! Take a bow guys!  
**

 ***Tellen, Ness, and Anna bow***

 **Tellen: No, girls are supposed to curtsy.**

 **Anna: But she said bow!**

 **Ness: I think girls bow after a stage performance.**

 **Anna: Is this a stage?  
**

 **Ness: No, but it's close enough.**

 **Tellen: Oh. Should we bow again?**

 **Anna: Yeah!  
**

 ***the students bow again***

 **Anna: My bow was best.**

 **Tellen: No, mine!**

 **Me: Okay, bye!**

 ***the students walk off***

 **Ahem. I would've gotten this up sooner, but my siblings were hogging the computer. -.-** **I might have another chapter up in an hour or two...**

 **Is there ANYTHING wrong in my story? Did I get a character's personality wrong? Is there a plot hole? Did I misspell a word? If I did, please let me know in a review!**

 **~FFF (pronounced fuhf)**


	5. Stalker

**Ninja, GO! Ninja, GO! Come on, come on, come on, and do the WEEKEND WHIP**

 **Jump up kick back whip around and SPIN!**

 **Ta da! Another chapter! Let the spooky scariness commence!**

 **Review replies:  
**

 **Windy: I am ECSTATIC that you like this! Really! Aww,** O/u/O **Family** **fluff is so fun to write.** **I'd be happy to put Jessica in. ^ ^**

 **MadilynJC: Thanks for reviewing, I absolutely adore it! :D Tara sounds like an awesome character, I'll definitely put her in. I'll need a little more info first, though. What does she look like? Any powers? What weapons, if any, does she typically use? Thanks!**

 **Wanli8970: Thanks for reviewing! Great, I've seen too many stories where the characters are waaaay OOC, I'm glad mine is an exception! I'd need your character's name, appearance, short backstory, whether or not they have powers (and if they do, what they are), and what weapons, if any, they use. Extra info would be appreciated (for example, color of spinjitzu), but if you don't give me any that's fine, I can just make stuff up. :)**

 **Kairocksrainbow: You should give those cookies to Morro, he loves cookies! (Morro: Only because she made me -.-) Spooky bushes. Eek. You'll see! ;)**

 **Angel Star Ninja: Yes, Jay is an idiot. I don't think Kai will have any trouble taking care of Lloyd, he's a bit overprotective of him as it is. However he might need a bit of *ahem* _encouragement_ before he's nice to Morro. (Kai: KNIFE! *runs away*)**

 **This chapter might've be a biiiiiiit more intense than the others, so I added extra humor. There's also a bit of Pixane (ZaneXPixal) fluff down there for ZaneXPixal4ever. ^ ^**

* * *

Chapter 5

A small figure crouched under a wire frame covered with leaves. It wasn't half-bad, she'd decided. At least, it was good enough to pass for a bush at twenty feet away in little to no light. She peeked through a hole and spotted one figure sitting a few feet away from the others, fortunately on the opposite side of the camp from the Green Ninja. She lowered herself to her knees and grabbed the wire frame, lifting it up slightly so it didn't drag on the ground when she carefully crawled over. Kidnapping someone, she'd decided, was tricky business. She'd also decided to never do it again. After crawling a few feet, she froze when she heard movement, and lowered the "bush" to the ground. After making sure there was no one nearby, she risked a glance out and sat the previously sitting figure move into the camp and lie down, hopefully to go to sleep. As she didn't know quite what was going on, she decided to wait a couple minutes and give that guy a chance to go the sleep. She lifted the "bush" over her head and set it on the ground next to her. She then dashed behind a large rock and leaned against it, waiting a moment to catch her breath. She fished around in her pocket before finding what she was looking for, a match. She struck it against the rock and watched it burst into flames. she would've been content to watch the flame dance for a minute, but she didn't want to risk giving herself away, so she touched the tip of her finger to it and it went out. She pulled another match out and repeated the process. By then, she decided, it was safe, she she crawled back under her fake bush and approached the sleeping Green Ninja. She almost gave her self away by jumping a foot in the air when a frog croaked, but fortunately no one was paying attention. After almost stepping on the snoring Red Ninja, and actually stepping on, or through, the ghostly Black Ninja (who didn't seem to notice), she finally made it to the Green Ninja's bedroll. She pulled a length of rope from her bag and and tied his hands and feet together, and, after a moments' thought, pulled a long cloth out of her bag and tied it around his mouth in case he woke up. Satisfied with her work, she grabbed his arms and started to drag him away from the camp.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Lloyd woke up to find himself being dragged across rough terrain. His first instinct was to struggle, which he did, but he soon realized that his hands and feet were tied, making struggling mostly useless. His next instinct was to scream for help, but that didn't work either because something was over his mouth.

"Quiet, you're going to give us away!" A female voice hissed quietly. Lloyd was silent for a moment before struggling harder. and screaming louder. "Stop it, little grasshopper! I'm not going to hurt you, I'm just going to steal your energy and eat it!"

Lloyd screamed under the gag.

"Ugh! I said be quiet!" the girl tried to kick him, but misjudged her aim and barely grazed his arm, hitting a rock instead. "Ow!"

"Hey, what's going on?" Cole's voice came from the camp.

"Where's Lloyd?" Morro asked. Flashlights clicked on. Lloyd yelled again to get their attention and kept trying to get away from the girl, who had wrapped her arms around his chest in an effort to drag him faster. However, it wasn't nearly fast enough, as the other Ninja and Morro soon caught up. The girl, still in the shadows so they couldn't see what she looked like, stopped and faced them.

"Give back Lloyd!" Nya demanded, yanking a katana out of its sheath.

"No!" the girl replied firmly.

"I'll take care of this." Kai walked up to the girl and started to point his flashlight at her so he could see what she looked like, but she set her hand on it and it instantly blinked out. Her eyes glowed a soft yellow for a moment, before fading back into black. Kai clicked the button a couple times, but the light didn't turn on. "Huh. Oooookay, I don't know what you just did, but, give back Lloyd or else..." Kai held up his hand and it burst into flames, illuminating the girl for a moment. He noted that she had dark, short, shaggy hair and a scratched-up face and arms. Her eyes were either very dark blue or black, he couldn't tell.

She stared at the flame for a moment as if mesmerized, before setting Lloyd on the ground and saying, "Cool." and grabbing Kai's arm. He let out a slight squeak and flopped to the ground, out like a light. Lloyd gave a surprised yelp and the others gasped.

After a moment, Cole recovered and yelled, "ATTACK!" Morro let out a gust of wind that send the girl and Lloyd flying, Zane froze her in an ice block, Cole covered the ice with rocks, Jay zapped her, and Nya splashed her with water. It was only then that they team realized that the mysterious girl and Lloyd were trapped inside a crackling, wet, frozen, rock.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"THIS WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA!" Jay shouted, giving the frozen rock a shove. "Whose idea was- COLE! This was YOUR idea! And you don't even have to push!" Nya, Zane, and Jay were slowly pushing the giant frozen rock with the girl and Lloyd inside it back to camp. Cole, who was carrying the snoring Kai, and Morro were walking nearby.

"I can't push, Jay. I'm a ghost. Ghosts can't touch water." Cole said smugly.

"It's not water! It's a rock!"

"A wet rock! And if you want to point fingers, it was really Morro's fault. He's the one who blew them next to each other." Cole argued. Morro gave Cole a dirty look.

"Yeah, well even if he hadn't we'd we'd still be lugging the girl back to camp. I-" Jay gasped. "Are you SMIRKING?! ZANE, COLE'S SMIRKING!"

"Oh grow up, Jay." Cole smiled and shifted the still-snoring Kai. When they finally got back to camp, Cole produced a scythe from his backpack (the others had no idea how it fit in there) and began hacking away at the rock. After about an hour, the rock split smoothly in half and Lloyd and the girl tumbled out, both fast asleep. Zane gave them both a quick examination and proclaimed that, other than some minor rope burn on Lloyd's wrists, were both perfectly fine.

"Now all we have to do is wait for them to wake up." Zane announced.

"We should probably get some rest." Nya said. "It's past midnight already and we have a lot of walking to do tomorrow. However, someone should stay up to keep an eye on them." Zane volunteered, not needing much sleep, and the rest of the party went to bed.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Zane sat back against a large rock, watching the three on the ground silently. He wondered who the girl was. Probably an elemental master, he decided, since she rendered Kai unconscious simply by grabbing his arm. He also wondered why she was nearly covered in light scratches. As he was contemplating this, P.I.X.A.L. spoke up silently in his head.

 _"Zane?"_

 _"Yes, P.I.X.A.L.?"_ he replied, silent as well.

 _"Do you miss me?"_

Zane thought for a moment. _"You mean your body? Yes, I do."_

 _"Good. I'm not the only one."_ P.I.X.A.L. sighed. _"I miss being able to move around, being about to touch things. I love living with you, but I feel so... numb."_

 _"I know that feeling."_ Zane thought back to the time The Overlord destroyed his body. He remembered the terrible numbness he felt before his consciousness in the digiverse connected with Cyrus Borg's machines to rebuild his body. _"Perhaps... when we return from this mission, we can rebuild you."_

 _"Really?"_ P.I.X.A.L. smiled joyfully from the corner of Zane's vision. _"I would love that."_

"Then I will do my best to make it happen." Zane said softly out loud. P.I.X.A.L. was about to reply, but movement from Kai effectively ended the conversation.

"Whoaaaaa..." kai sat up and rubbed his head. "What hit me? My arms feel like bricks... so do my legs. Even my head feels like a brick!" Kai flopped back onto the ground.

"I do not know what happened to you, Kai. We will have to wait until she wakes up." Zane gestured to the sleeping girl. Kai blinked and glanced at her. Since he could see her better now, he noticed that as well as having black hair with indigo highlights, she had semi-dark skin and was wearing a tattered cloak over a relatively well-kept brown shirt and pants, though the knees of said pants had large holes in them. She was smiling slightly in her sleep. Kai turned back to Zane and asked,

"What happened after she knocked me out?"

"That's a bit of a long story..."

* * *

 **Wow, no cliffhanger.**

 **Yay! I got two out in one day! I hope you enjoyed it!**

 **I think mysterious girl is funny. You?**

 **Well, I gotta get off. See y'all tomorrow!**

 **~FFF (pronounced fuhf)**

 **P.S. This story is 1,924 words long! Yay!**


	6. New additions

**Hey! Just wanted to say, before I forget, since so many people are giving me OCs to use, none of them will have very major roles. I can't keep very good track of OCs (except my own because I invented them), so, they'll all show up, but not for very long. Unless I really like them. Sorry. And, since no one mentioned any problems in my story, my story must be PERFECT! :D Cookies for everyone! (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::)**

 **Review replies:**

 **MadilynJC: Thanks for the info! I'll be sure to put her in. ;)**

 **Wanli8970: Your OC is cute! She seems a bit overpowered, though, having super strength and being able to defeat ALL the ninja, the best fighters in Ninjago, with barely any trouble. I will put her in, but I'll tone down her powers a bit.**

 **Breana: Elemental Master of Music, huh? That's a new one. Very original. :) I'll be happy to put him in.**

 **Kairocksrainbow: Of course you expected a cliffhanger. I am the princess of cliffhangers. :D Your review made me laugh so much. My brother thought it was hilarious as well. Jay really needs to grow up. ^ ^' Kayson makes his first appearance in this chapter, though you'll notice I changed his powers and backstory, since I didn't want to deal with him being related to Kai and Nya. It just wouldn't fit with the plot. I hope you like his new powers. :D I wrote that scene when I couldn't see his bio, though, so I made him a bit more... optimistic, then he's supposed to be. Oh well.**

 **Also, a side note: The mystery girl referring to Lloyd as a grasshopper is a reference to an RPG game my older sister is making. One of the characters (who is clinically insane) keeps comparing people to grasshoppers.**

 **And now... THE CHAPTER!**

* * *

Chapter 6

After Zane had filled Kai in on everything important that happened since he was knocked out, Kai decided to stay up with Zane since he'd already had plenty of sleep. They didn't have to wait long before Lloyd woke up, who was greatly relieved that they rescued him from the crazy mystery girl. He told Kai and Zane about her strange comment about energy stealing, and Zane deduced that that was how she knocked out Kai. Kai was about to reply when Lloyd interrupted him.

"You can ask her yourself, she's waking up!" Lloyd yelled as he jumped to his feet and backed away. "Everyone! Wake up!" The rest of the party slowly got up as the girl sat up, rubbing her eyes. She blinked a few times before realizing that everyone was looking at her.

"Yikes!" she jumped to her feet and started sprinting out of camp. However, Cole grabbed her arms before she got very far. "Lemme go!" She yelled as she kicked her feet uselessly. Cole picked her up and carried his back to camp. When Cole stopped in the middle of camp, she stopped struggling and sighed. "Alright, you got me. What do you want from me?"

"Let's start with your name," said Zane, always polite. "Who are you?"

"Princess Elizabeth. Now lemme go." the girl replied, kicking at Cole again.

"Is that your REAL name?" Jay asked, narrowing his eyes.

"No."

"Then what IS your real name?"

"Fine! It's Indigo! I don't have a last name." Indigo replied.

"Why did you try to kidnap Lloyd? And what did you mean by "taking his energy"?" Kai folded his arms.

"That's two questions in one. Whatever. For starters, I'm the Elemental Master of Void. I-" Indigo was interrupted by a snort from Jay.

"The Elemental Master of LLOYD? Hahahahahahaaa!" he chortled.

"Not Lloyd, Void!" Cole rolled his eyes.

"Ohhh... void." Jay replied, still snickering.

"Ahem. As I was saying- could you put me down?" Cole set Indigo on the ground, but kept a firm grip on her wrists. "Thanks. Anyway, having the powers of Void means I can absorb energy. Any energy. Light, heat, electricity, etc. I also don't need to eat as long as I get enough energy. Lloyd- that is your name, right?" Lloyd nodded from where he was hiding behind Morro. "Lloyd can create balls of pure energy, so, hypothetically, he'd be a great source of "food" for me. Allow me to demonstrate." Indigo twisted her wrist sharply, yanking it out of Cole's grip and quickly grabbing his arm. Cole let go of her other wrist and stumbled backwards, Indigo letting go of him before he could pull away. The other Ninja quickly pulled out their weapons, ready to fight. Indigo put her hands up. "No worries, I don't want to fight all of you. Just showing you what I can do."

"If you can get energy from light, why not just use the light from the sun and moon?" Nya asked, sheathing her katana.

"Sunlight is too weak, and moonlight is even weaker. Light isn't strong enough to get a decent amount of energy from." Indigo helped Cole, who was still dizzy, to his feet. "Heat is better, but unless I have something REALLY hot, like a fire," Indigo took a match out of her pocket and struck it against Cole's shoulder armor. "It doesn't do much good. And if I suck the heat out of anything, it gets cold. I can't get energy from cold. I don't function well around cold things. I just shut down, fall asleep." Indigo touched the match's flame and it went out. "That's why I like fire."

"Well, if you like fire, you've come to the right place." Kai grinned and let his hand catch on fire. Indigo touched it and it went out.

"How old are you?" Zane asked. "Do you have any family?"

"Nope, No family, no friends, nothin'." Indigo said quickly. Too quickly, Kai thought. "Oh, and I'm 15."

"That's very young to be on your own. Perhaps you should stay with us." Zane suggested.

"I..." Indigo's voice faltered for a moment before she forced a smile. "Whatever. I don't have anything else to do."

"Then let us finally get some rest." Zane didn't seem to notice her momentary discomfort. "There's still a couple of hours before sunrise." The others agreed and they wandered off to go to sleep.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

The group of adventurers woke up just before dawn and ate a light breakfast before packing up camp and continuing their journey, soon making it into a desert. Indigo wandered from person to person, chattering about various things and asking lots of questions. She hung around Kai for a while, since she was fascinated with his ability to make fire, and he seemed perfectly happy to show off his skills. Every time he created a fire, though, she would touch it and put it out. Eventually she accidentally touched him and stole some of his energy, so he told her to bother someone else instead. She tried to talk to Lloyd, but he would hide behind one of the others (usually Morro because they were walking together) whenever she got near, so she left him alone too. After a couple hours of walking, Zane announced that he could see someone lying on the ground ahead. They hurried to get closer and saw a tall boy lying unconscious on the ground. He had semi-long black hair and sunburned pale skin. According to Zane, he was severely dehydrated. Nya quickly filled a cup with water and handed it to Zane, who poured it down the boy's throat. The boy coughed and opened his eyes a crack, quickly closing them at the bright light. Zane helped the boy sit up, and he blinked his eyes rapidly.

"Tha-" he coughed again. "Thanks for the water. Who are you?" the boy blinked once more and took a closer look at his rescuers. "Hey! You're the ninja! I've seen you on TV!" he looked at Morro and Indigo. "I don't know who you are, though. Wait, aren't you evil?" He tilted his head at Morro.

"That's... a long story. What's your name?" Nya asked.

"Kayson. Nice to meet you." Kayson replied.

"What are you doing way out here?" Kai asked as Zane helped Kayson to his feet.

"I was going somewhere and I ran out of water." Kayson shrugged.

"Where were you going?" Jay asked.

"Somewhere." Kayson replied.

"But where?"

"Somewhere."

"Where?!"

"Somewhere!"

"Ugh! I give up!" Jay stomped off.

"Well, which way were you going? If we're going to same way we might as well travel together." Cole suggested.

"Makes sense. I'm heading that way. You?" Kayson pointed towards the distant outline of Mount Vertuvius.

"That's were we're going!" Indigo grinned. The others had filled her in on the mission earlier that day. "I'm Indigo, by the way." she stuck her hand out and he shook it.

"Nice name. I have indigo colored powers." Kayson held up his hand and dark blue fire erupted from it. Instead of behaving like normal fire, however, it flowed down his hand and dripped onto the ground. The others stared at the liquid fire in shock.

"What kind of a power is THAT?!" Jay demanded.

"No idea. I was wandering in a cave once and I found this rock." Kayson pulled a small, smooth, stone on a chain around his neck out from under his shirt. "It was glowing indigo. I touched it and got these powers. I kept the rock as a lucky charm."

"Cool." Indigo remarked, touching a drip of blue fire on the ground and watching it vanish into a puff of smoke.

"Well, since we seem to be finished with introductions, shouldn't we get going?" Cole asked.

"Not quite. I still don't know who that guy is." Kayson gestured to Morro.

"This is Morro. He's a reformed bad guy." Lloyd explained. Morro nodded in Kayson's direction in greeting.

"Okay then. Now we're finished." Kayson dusted his shirt off and stood up straight. As the party started off again, Jay started to sing, the other Ninja joining in.

"4,928,632 bottles of tea on the wall, 4,928,632 bottles of tea..."

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"...You take one down, pass it around, there are NO more BOTTLES of TEA ON THE WAAAAAAAAALL!" The Ninja, Indigo and Kayson sang, bursting into laughter after they were done.

"That was enjoyable!" Zane proclaimed.

"You bet it was! Although it's a bit long. I know how we could make it shorter, though." Kayson said.

"Really? How?" Cole asked.

"How about, instead of 10,000,000 bottles of tea, just 99?"

"99 bottles of tea on the wall..." Kai mused. "I like it! 99 it is!"

"Thank goodness..." Morro muttered from next to Lloyd.

"It's just clean fun, Morro." Lloyd said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You should try it sometime."

"I'm not really much for singing." Morro replied flatly.

"How do you know Have you ever tried?" Morro hesitated.

"Not that I can remember." he admitted.

"Then you should." Lloyd said firmly. Morro gave him a small smile.

"The sun is setting," Zane called from the front of the procession. "We should set up camp. Here is a good place." Zane pointed to a flat area on the shores of a large lake.

"What? Right next to a lake? No way!" Cole shook his head quickly.

"Hey, relax, Cole." Jay said with a grin. "If you fall in the lake and explode, we'll just catch up with you in the Cursed Realm!" Cole rolled his eyes.

"No thank you."

"Regardless, it is the flattest piece of land in the area big enough for us to make camp." Zane said firmly. "We will camp here tonight."

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

The travelers built a fire and had a fine meal of various fruits (Indigo absorbed the fire when they were done with it) before rolling out their bedrolls and settling down for the night. However, long after the others had gone to sleep, Lloyd stayed awake, staring at the silhouette of Mount Vetruvius in the darkness. He wondered what he would find inside. His father? Or... his doom.

* * *

 **No cliffhanger, again. Just dramaticness.**

 **When I was telling a couple of my little sisters about Indigo's powers, one of them mistook "void" for "Lloyd". Heh.**

 **I don't think I've already mentioned this, but this story was inspired by Silvermoon10123's one-shot, "Morro & Lloyd: Second Chances". Go read it, it's cute. :3**

 **This chapter is over 2,000 words long! :D**

 **Indigo, you're scaring Lloyd. Poor Lloyd. Guess what, Morro, that's the girl you have to fall in love with!**

 **Morro: What? Her?! No way! She's scaring my best friend!**

 **Indigo: Not my fault I'm scaring the little grasshopper.**

 **Lloyd: I'm not a grasshopper!**

 **Morro: TOUCH LLOYD AND DIE! *overprotective***

 **Me: Morro, you're too grumpy. You probably need more cookies.**

 **Morro: Cookies? Where?!**

 **Me: I'm sure the reviewers have some...**

 **For Morro's sake, please review! And bring some cookies!**

 **~FFF (pronounced fuhf)**


	7. Slime Deer

**If you're following this, it probably alerted you about this thing multiple times. Sorry. I had to mess with it. This is not really a chapter. It's just a random thing I wrote while I was bored. So I won't be doing review replies until I get the real chapter out later today. Hope you like it. :)**

* * *

Chapter 6 1/2

Jay and the rest of the travellers walked through the Cursed Realm.

"It's too bad we lost our elemental powers when we fought that giant slime deer." Kai commented.

"Yeah." Kayson agreed. "I hope we can still get Garmadon out."

"I'm sure we can." said Cole. "It sure would be a disappointment if we got all the way here and couldn't get him out."

"Hey, is that him up ahead?" Jay pointed to a figure in a sensei's gi sitting on a couch in a giant cage. The party ran past two cages that housed Master Chen and Clouse before finding out that yes, it was Sensei Garmadon in the cage.

"Dad!" Lloyd said excitedly.

"Hello, son!" Garmadon greeted him cheerfully. "I'd go over to meet you, but if I get off this couch the cage will explode."

"Well, how do we get you out if the cage explodes?" Jay asked, confused.

"There's only one way to open the cage and break the curse." Sensei Garmadon said dramatically.

"What is that?" Zane asked, P.I.X.A.L. walking alongside him.

"Clouse's hair."

"What?!" Nya scrunched her face up in disgust. "I'm not touching his hair!"

"That's okay. I can do it!" Indigo chirped. "I know where he is, too! I saw him in a cage as we were running over here!" The travelers quickly ran back over to Clouse's cage, only to find it, as well as Master Chen's, gone.

"There they are!" Lloyd yelled, pointing to the two cages, which were sitting on the back of a giant transparent blue deer.

"It's the slime deer! Get it for taking our powers!" Kai yelled. The travelers ran after the slime deer (which ran away) yelling.

"COME BACK HERE, YOU SLIMEY FIEND!" Morro yelled, shaking his fist in the air.

"YEAH! GIVE BACK CLOUSE!" Cole grabbed a chunk of ghostly rock and flung it at the slime deer. The slime deer ignored it and kept running. After they chased the deer over half the Cursed Realm, it stopped short without warning and travelers crashed into it. Once they got back to their feet, they saw three girls standing in front of the slime deer holding cookies.

"Drop the cages, slimeguy!" One of them, the girl with a shiny silver ninja suit and angel wings demanded. The slime deer quickly dropped the cages. "Great."

"Now give back the Ninja's powers!" another girl, who appeared to be made of a cloud, yelled. The slime deer snorted and quickly ran off.

"Hey! My powers are back!" Kayson shouted, throwing blue fire at the walls.

"Who are you?" P.I.X.A.L. asked the girls. The last girl turned to her and grinned.

"Hi! I'm Windy! I have wind powers!"

"I'm Rain." The second girl introduced herself. "I have lots of cookies."

"And I'm Angel Star Ninja!" The winged girl spun around.

"Cookies for everyone!" Rain yelled, throwing cookies to everyone but Jay.

"Cookies!" Morro cheered.

"Hey! Why don't I get any cookies?" Jay complained.

"Because you're an idiot." Windy said matter-of-factly.

"No time for arguing. You gotta go get Clouse's hair." Angel Star Ninja pointed at Master Chen and Clouse, who were sitting in their cages looking grumpy. Indigo walked over to Clouse's cage, reached through the bars, and popped his hair off his head.

"Hey! His hair comes off like legos!" Indigo observed. "I wonder if everyone's hair is like that."

"We could find out." Cole suggested. He then popped off Jay's hair. "Yep! Looks like it!"

"Hey!" Jay grabbed Cole's hair and put it on his own head.

"HEY!" Cole grabbed his hair back.

"Come on, guys! We gotta go get that cage opened!" Kai prodded.

"Wait! What about us? Can't you let us out?" Master Chen pleaded.

"I guess so. The only problem is, whose hair opens their cages?" Lloyd looked around. Kayson tried to grab P.I.X.A.L.'s hair, but Zane slapped him and Kayson took Kai's instead. This quickly turned into a full-out hair stealing fight, in which everyone but Zane P.I.X.A.L. and Morro, who ran away, had their hair stolen and switched with someone else's. They eventually figured out that Kai's hair opened the cages, and they let Master Chen and Clouse free who thanked them.

"I want my hair back." Clouse folded his arms.

"Here you go!" Zane tossed him the hair, which he had just used to free Garmadon. Lloyd ran over to his father and gave him a hug, but Jay hardly noticed because he was too busy fighting Cole over his hair.

"LOOK OUT! THE SLIME DEER'S BACK!" Windy yelled in alarm. She flew up to the top of a mountain with Angel Star Ninja and Rain as the travelers screamed and ran from the army of tiny slime deer.

ReturnToTheSlimeDeer

Jay moaned in his sleep and rolled over, then awoke with a start. He looked around the camp warily before realizing that there were no slime deer. He let out a sigh of relief and turned to Cole, who was trying to build a fire.

"I just had the weirdest dream." He announced. He was about to continue when he saw a flash of blue and screamed, "AHHH! SLIME DEER!" and sprinted out of camp. As he ran away, he vaguely heard Cole say,

"Uh, Jay, that's your ninja suit."

* * *

 **This concludes my totally random and useless chapter. Hope you liked!**

 **~FFF (pronounced fuhf)**


	8. Limong

**I reposted this because there was a typo.**

 **I am SO sorry I couldn't get this out yesterday! I wrote about half of it before I had to get off and couldn't get on to write for the rest of the day. -.- Anyway, these reviews I replied to here are the ones for chapter 6, not 6 1/2. I'll answer those at the bottom.**

 **Review replies (for chapter 6) :**

 **Wanli8970: You're welcome. :) As you will soon see, I put her in this chapter.**

 **Kairocksrainbow: Yep. You write good short stories. ^ ^ Be sure to bring more cookies for Morro. They're making him so happy he even decided to sing. P.S. I hope you liked Jay's dream.**

 **Breana: Morro says thank you for all the cookies. However, he wants some more because I stole some. *cough* What? They're tasty! However, he absolutely refuses to fall in love with Indigo. We'll see how that goes. And thanks for the info on Alex. ^ ^**

 **Windy: I know, right? Platonic fluff is adorable. Jay want's to know why he's dreaming about you and Morro is eating your cookies. Grammar issues. Okay. Was that while someone is talking, or just random? Because sometimes I deliberately write bad grammar into people's sentences, though I don't remember if I did in the last couple chapters... hmm. I know, the grasshopper thing is hilarious. :D Morro says that no matter how much I try I can't make him fall in love with Indigo. We'll see how that goes. Mwahahahahaaaa... Can't wait to see another of your reviews. ;)**

 **Angel Star Ninja: Lloyd needs all the protection he can get. It always seems like someone's trying to capture him, kill him, or steal his powers. Cough. Anyway, yes, they are adorable. ^ ^ Morro grabbed your cookies and took off with them, and I haven't seen him since. XD Jay thinks you're weird. Don't ask why. I think he's just afraid of slime deer.**

 **Guest: I know, right? :D Soul Archer will probably show up in the Cursed Realm at some point.**

 **And now... the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 7

Morro woke up to the sound of a splash and jumped off his bedroll into a battle stance before he was even fully awake. He soon realized that he wasn't being attacked, and turned towards the lake to see Indigo swimming around in it, fully clothed. He sighed and sat down on his bedroll, deciding he wouldn't be able to sleep after his rude awakening. They would have to get up soon anyway, since the sky was turning a deep shade of pink. Since there was nothing else to do, he walked over to a large rock near the water's edge and sat down to watch Indigo swim. He wondered what swimming felt like. Was it like flying, like he did with wind? Probably like flying through heavy air, he decided. If he didn't dislike Indigo so much for trying to kidnap his best (only?) friend, he might ask her. He was too wrapped up in his thoughts to notice when Indigo swam towards him underwater until she popped up in front of him with a splash.

"Hi Morro!" she greeted him cheerfully as he scrambled backwards away from the rapidly spreading puddle of water dripping off of her. "Wanna come swim with me? The water's great!" she paused. "Cold, but great."

"No." Morro muttered, standing up and backing away from her.

"Aw, why not? It's boring swimming by myself." Indigo pretended to pout. Morro realized she didn't know ghosts were hurt by water, and since he would rather not tell her his only weakness, he simply answered,

"I can't swim." It was the truth. he couldn't touch water and therefore could not swim.

"Oh well. Indigo pulled herself out of the water and squished past him into the camp. He saw her go up to Cole, who was trying to build a fire, and say, "Hey Cole! Wanna come swim with me? Cole turned around and quickly backed away when he saw how wet she was.

"Uh, no. I can't touch water. Ghosts are hurt, they can be killed, by it." Indigo blinked.

"Ohhhh. That's what Jay meant by you falling in the lake and exploding."

"Yeah. Anyway don't get near Morro or I when you're all wet like that. Go dry off and help me build a fire." Cole instructed her. Indigo nodded obediently and walked off to find something to dry off with. As she walked she shot a confused look at Morro, probably wondering why he didn't just tell her that. Morro ignored it and turned around to watch the sunrise.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

After a small breakfast without Jay, who came in later muttering about slime deer, and a short dip in the lake for some people, the travelers once again set off. Kayson told them that there was a small village a few hours away where they could stock up on supplies and maybe rest for the night, but Lloyd said they had to get to the mountain as soon as possible, so they agreed to get in and out of the village as soon as possible. On the way they sang "99 Bottles of Tea on the Wall" to pass the time, and even Morro halfheartedly sang along with the others on the last 13 bottles, much to Lloyd's delight. It wasn't long after that before they saw the village in the distance. It was still a couple of miles away, but it lifted their spirits anyway.

When they got into the village, Kai was struck by how similar it was to his own home village before technology took over the land. It had a few rice fields irrigated by a mountain stream outside of town, small wooden houses with thatched roofs, and a small blacksmith's forge with a young blacksmith hammering away at a katana. Lloyd decided that that first thing to do would be to shop for supplies, so they headed to a large building in the center of town. It looked like the only thing with modern technology in town, and it had lots of it. It had blinking multicolored lights all over the outside, and there was a giant neon sign in front that read "Techi's Supermarket". They walked in and were instantly greeted by a perky girl with chocolate-brown waist-length hair, pale skin, and gold-green eyes.

"Hi!" she chirped. "Welcome to Techi's supermarket! I'm Techi. Whaddya need? We got batteries, walkie talkies, flashlights, cell phones, laptops, electronic weapons, electronic shoes, electronic glasses, electronic cat ears, we even have a couple junked nindroids in the back! And if none of that pleases you, we can do custom orders that can be made in under 30 minutes! So, what can I get you?" she bounced on the balls of her feet and watched expectantly.

"Um... do you have any food?" Cole asked.

"Of course not! Who needs food? You only need electronics. Trust me." Techi nodded wisely. "I never eat food. Right Damien?" she asked, spinning around to face a tall guy who was stacking flashing shoes on a shelf. He turned to her with a confused look.

"Um, actually-"

"See?! Damien agrees with me, and he NEVER agrees with me." Techi folded her arms triumphantly.

"I didn't agree with you! I was about to say-" Damien broke off when he saw the Ninja and Co. standing just inside the doorway of the shop. "Oh! Customers! Can I help you?"

"I was already helping them, _Damien,_ couldn't you tell?!" Techi spun around again to glare at him.

"I thought you said this was a supermarket." Lloyd spoke up.

"It is! It's a super ELECTRONICS market!" Techi grinned gleefully.

"We actually need food, so if you don't have any we should probably be leaving..." Zane said as the others backed slowly towards the door. Techi spun around and stared at Zane, her mouth falling open.

"Is that a FIRST GENERATION NINDROID?! LET ME SEE! HOW DOES IT WORK?!" she squealed and tried to grab Zane, who dodged and fled the store, the others quickly following. "COME BACK, ROBOT!" Techi yelled, chasing them.

"Wait! Come back, Techi!" Damien ran out of the store and restrained Techi. "I'm very sorry about Techi. She's a sweet girl, and a great inventor, but a bit..." Damien hesitated. "Unstable."

"Cool! I'm an inventor too!" Jay grinned.

"I am NOT unstable!" Techi argued, yanking herself out of Damien's grip and whirling around to face him, forgetting all about Zane. "Why are you trying to ruin my reputation in front of the customers?! I'm the best technopath there is, and you can't deny it!"

"Technopath?" Kai whispered to Zane.

"I believe it would be best not to ask." Zane whispered back.

"I wasn't denying it." Damien sighed. "Ahem. If it's food you need, I'm sure Techi can whip up a machine that turns rocks into food."

"Not rocks. We tried that, remember?" Techi shook her head. "We get crunchy chicken and dry ice cream."

"Well, okay then. How about water?"

"Yeah!" Techi turned back to the travelers. "Come back in half an hour and I'll have a machine for you that turns water into food!" she grinned. "Oh, and if you get hungry before that, there's a great restaurant right over there." Techi pointed to an old-fashioned chinese building with a sign on it that read , "Sai Ming's Chinese Cafe", before bouncing back into her shop.

"Should we?" Lloyd asked. The others agreed, so they walked towards the restaurant for an early lunch.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

The party sat down at a table in the small friendly-looking restaurant and began deciding what they were going to order.

"Do they serve batteries?" Indigo asked, straining to see Kai's menu since there weren't enough at the table for her to have one.

"Of course not. Can't you just eat real food?" Kai pushed her away. Indigo frowned.

"Yeah, but absorbing energy is so much more... um... it's hard to compare it to food. Interesting? Maybe you can just make me a fireball."

"That would not be a wise idea. A fireball in a wooden building has a 68.246891% chance of catching something on fire if left burning for approximately five seconds." Zane calculated.

"Okay. Maybe Lloyd can make me an energy ball." Indigo looked hopefully at Lloyd, who sighed and charged a ball of green energy in his hand. She touched it and it vanished. "Thanks!" she then closed her eyes and was absolutely silent.

"They've got some nice stuff, but it's probably not as good as at Chen's Noodle House." Cole commented. Kai got a dreamy look on his face when he thought about the current owner of Chen's, Skylor Chen. At that moment, a young chinese girl with a notepad walked over to their table.

"Hello, welcome to Sai Ming's. May I take your ord-" her dark-brown eyes opened wide and she let out an ear piercing shriek. "OH MY GOSH! YOU"RE THE NINJA!" she screamed as the group hastily covered their ears. "I'VE SEEN YOU ON TECHI'S TVS! YOU'RE AWESOME!"

"Ming! Calm down!" A female voice called from the kitchen.

"Sorry!" the girl, Ming, called back. She turned back to the Ninja, hopping from foot to foot in excitement. "You guys are so cool! What are you doing way out here? Who are you? Are you Cole's brother?" she asked Morro.

"Uh..." Morro was taken aback by the question.

"No. He's just a random ghost." said Indigo.

"Are you Cole's sister?"

"Uh, no. None of us," Indigo gestured to Kayson, Morro, and herself. "are related to the Ninja in any way. I'm Indigo. Do you have any batteries I can eat?" she stuck out her hand and Ming shook it slowly.

"Um... yes, we have batteries. Why would you eat batteries, thought?"

"I'm the Elemental Master of Void. My-" Indigo was cut off by Ming giggling.

"I'm sorry, the Elemental Master of Lloyd? Isn't that the name of the Green Ninja?" Indigo frowned.

"Yes, that is his name, and no, I'm the Elemental Master of VOID, with a V, not LLOYD, with an L. My powers are that I can suck energy out of things and I usually just use that ability to get energy instead of eating." she clarified.

"Oh. I'm sorry. My name is Li Ming. Please call me Ming." Ming smiled.

"Call my Indy. To answer your question about where we're going, we're headed to Mount Vetruvius to try and find something." Indigo gestured to the volcano outside the window.

"Can I come with you? I've always wanted to go on an adventure!" Ming clasped her hands in front of her in a pleading gesture.

"Uh..." Kai said. The others glanced at each other. "Sorry girlie. You're too young to come with us." he shrugged.

"Please? I won't be any trouble! I can fight very well! I can scream so loud it breaks glass! I have super strength!" She picked up their table and spun it over her head to demonstrate.

"Eh, not bad." Cole said dismissively.

"I suppose you could come with us. It could be very useful to have someone of your skills on this journey." Zane said. Ming dropped the table and squealed with ecstasy.

"MOM! DAD! CAN I GO ON AN ADVENTURE WITH THE NINJA?" she yelled towards the kitchen.

"I suppose, dear. Just try to be back by the Moon Festival in a couple of weeks." the female voice replied. Ming frowned.

"I hope this takes a while. I'd rather not be here for the moon festival. Now, did you want something to eat?" she picked up her notepad from where she'd dropped it.

"It has been 37 minutes and 23 seconds since Techi began creating her machine. According to my calculations, she is finished, and we should go pick it up." Zane said before anyone else could reply.

"Alright then. I'll pack a bag. Meet me back here when you're done." Ming walked to the back of the building as the Ninja grabbed their backpacks and left.

* * *

 **Wow. Nice long chapter. Over 2,500 words (counting the A/N)**

 **More review replies:**

 **Angel Star Ninja: Indigo is offended. She wanted to slap you back, but I told her not to because you're my loyal reviewer. Like I said in the first chapter, I have a thing for OCs. Don't like it, read something else. :/ Morro completely agrees with you (for now) about the romance thing. (Morro: *backs slowly away from Indigo*)**

 **Welp. Hoped you liked the chapter.**

 **~FFF**


	9. Gadgets and Girls

**Hello again, faithful readers! You'll notice, if you look at the chapter list, that I changed the chapter names from chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, etc. to titles that correlate to the content of the chapter. So yeah. Oh, and "Limong" is the name of the village they're currently in.**

 **Review replies:**

 **Wanli8970: Well yeah, I mean, I'd be excited if I saw the most popular people in the world eating in my restaurant. Wouldn't you? :D She's not as hyper in this chapter, as you can see. Yes... that'll be very interesting.**

 **SilverKunoichi1212: Wait, how can she be older and younger than Lloyd at the same time? And what's "Ninjaga"? I'd rather not give the ninja any twin siblings, since there are already plenty of stories with those, but I can put her in. I really like her name, it's very original (and cute) . ;)**

 **NinjagoZaneLover: ...well that must've been an accident, because I barely remember Kung Fu Panda, I haven't seen it in forever. :O But yeah, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs references were on purpose. :)**

 **NinjaMelissa: Best running joke ever. :D**

 **Kairocksrainbow: Who wouldn't like giant slime deer? I actually dreamed about giant slime deer the day after I wrote that. :o They look weird. Exactly as I imagined them, though. Morro thanks you for the cookies and wants more, but I say no, he's had enough. Give some to Jay instead. (Jay: Yay! Morro: No!)**

 **Angel Star Ninja: Indigo agrees, but she still doesn't like you for beating her up. Trust me, she'll suffer at some point. Probably fall off a cliff or something. Morro will be sad, though, because by then he'll care about her. :3 Morro thanks you for caring about him.**

 **Bob: Ooh! Cookies! What kind? I like M &M ones, but Morro likes chocolate chip. I know, Jay's subconscious is ridiculous. (just like mine)**

 **I'd like to take a moment to credit my older sister, Ally, for giving me so much help with this fanfiction. Not only does she make up funny dialog, but she makes up ridiculous plot ideas and steals my minifigures' hair (okay, that's not entirely good, but it inspired Jay's slime deer dream). She owns Techi, Damien, and T.E.C.M.I., who you'll meet in this chapter. She was also the one who came up with Indigo's line, "Stop it, little grasshopper! I'm not going to hurt you, I'm just going to suck out your energy and eat it!". She wants to know if you like Techi, so please let us know what you think in your reviews. :)**

 **I also re-thought and decided that I don't need a beta reader. That would just slow down my posts. I can be my own beta reader, since I write it on paper first and then re-read it when I type it up on the computer. So yeah.**

 **Kairocksrainbow, and whoever owns Ming (sorry I forgot), is it ok if I pair Kayson and Ming? I currently don't really have much in the way of plans for them, other than Ming being afraid of the moon. Currently Kayson is just dead weight that talks every other paragraph. If you don't want them to be a couple, could you at least help me get some material for them? Thanks!**

 **Random thought of the minute: I HATE MATH! ITS SO BORING I COULD SCREAM! *throws math into wall with spinjitzu* On another note, did you know that spell check thinks "Spinjitzu" is a word? Cool, right?**

 **Ahem. Let us get to the story...**

* * *

Chapter 8

The adventurers returned to Techi's Supermarket, where Techi was standing in front of the store tapping her foot crossly.

"Well it's about time you guys got here! I told you I'd be done in less than half an hour, and you get here 40 minutes later?! Don't you believe that I can get done in a short a time as I say I can be done in?! Why that's rubbish, complete rubbish! I always fulfill my promises, 100% of the time! RIGHT DAMIEN?!" she spun around to face Damien, who was walking out of the store holding a smallish metal object. He opened his mouth to reply, but Techi once again cut him off. "See? Damien agrees with me! He doesn't always keep his promises, though. He told me he would kiss me yesterday and he still hasn't done it."

"I- you-" Damien stammered. "I-I was busy! Uh..."

"Wait, you two are together?" Kai asked.

"Sure we are! He can be my romantic partner as well as my business partner." Techi replied with a grin.

"So... are you two married?" Jay asked incredulously.

"Of course not! Do you see a RING on my finger?!" Techi stuck her hand up into Jay's face. "No you don't! In fact, I don't wear any jewelry! And NEITHER does DAMIEN!" Techi stopped. "I should probably give you your machine now. Damien?" Damien handed her the gadget. "This is T.E.C.M.I.. It stands for Techi's Exceptional Consumables Making Invention. She's fully programed with a unique personality. Don't make her mad, though, or she'll only make TV dinners. And NO ONE likes TV dinners. Techi said gravely.

"I kinda like TV dinners..." Damien mumbled.

"NO YOU DON'T!" Techi shouted, turning around to face him. "You like FOOD! Not that pathetic excuse for food!" she turned back to the party of adventurers and handed them T.E.C.M.I.. "Why do you need her anyway? You going on a long trip?"

"You could say that." Kai said carefully.

"We're going to the Cursed Realm!" Jay piped up. Cole punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Ow!"

"Wow, the Cursed Realm. I've always wanted to go there. I wanna come." Techi announced.

"No!" The travelers all said at once!

"Ah, what we mean is, we have too many people with us already. Besides, we, um, might not have enough, uh, supplies, for everyone." Cole stuttered.

"Plus, you're nuts." Kayson pointed out, earning him a punch from Cole.

"Whatever. I'll go with Damien sometime. Bye!" Techi turned around and marched back inside.

"Well... that turned out well." Zane said after a moment. Indigo pressed a button on the machine and a happy sound played from its speakers, a smiley face emoticon lighting up its small green screen.

"Hello, customers! I'm T.E.C.H.I., Techi's Exceptional Consumables Making Invention. Would you like to try today's special, Macaroni and Cheese with Ghost Peppers?" T.E.C.M.I. chirped.

"Ew, no!" Nya frowned. "Why would we eat something like THAT?"

"Because it's today's special!" T.E.C.H.I. replied, a frustrated emoticon appearing on her screen. "Duh!" she waited for a few moments as the others were silent. "Do you actually want to eat anything?"

"Me! I do!" Jay grinned.

"Great! Do you want to try today's special, Macaroni and Cheese with Gho-"

"Uh, no." Jay cut the A.I. off. "How about some pudding?"

"An excellent choice! What flavor would you like? We have chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, pistachio, peppermint, butterscotch, cranberry..." Tecmi rattled off a long list of flavors, including soy sauce and cream of tarter. After she was done, Jay hesitantly said,

"Uh... vanilla?"

"Vanilla it is! Please insert water into the funnel!" A funnel rose up from T.E.C.H.I.'s top and Nya squirted water into it from her hand. T.E.C.M.I. beeped rapidly and glowed like a lightbulb. A pudding cup (complete with spoon) dropped from a hole in the bottom of the machine into the grip of a waiting claw, which then lifted it up into Jay's waiting hands.

"Cooooooool!" Jay said in awe before digging into the pudding.

"Can you really make anything?" Kai addressed the machine.

"Yep! I can make anything from adobo-rubbed chicken to zucchini pancakes!" T.E.C.M.I. replied proudly. "And by the way," she said, her screen turning to red and an angry emoticon. "Techi is totally not nuts. Why would you even say such a thing? If she were nuts she wouldn't be able to make a pro robot like me."

"I thought you were a gadget." Indigo interjected.

"I am a robot." T.E.C.H.I. said firmly.

"Gadget."

"Robot."

"Gadget."

"Robot."

"Gadget!"

"Robot!"

"GADGET!"

"Enough!" Cole yelled, interrupting the argument. "Seriously, Indigo. Why are you getting in an argument with this... this toaster with an attitude?!"

"I am NOT a toaster!" T.E.C.M.I. shrieked. "I am a fully programed A.I. with optional food making components! I can make much more than toast! I can make cupcakes, and salads, and laptop-shaped noodles!"

"Laptop shaped noodles?" Indigo frowned in confusion.

"Um, can we get going? We told Li Ming we'd come back after picking up the toaster." Lloyd spoke up.

"Not a toaster." T.E.C.M.I. grumbled. Indigo flipped the power switch and T.E.C.M.I. shut off, much to the others' relief. They then stuck her in a backpack and walked back to Sai Ming's.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

The travelers walked into the restaurant to find Li Mind standing in the center of the main room, looking deep in thought. She snapped out of it when she saw the Ninja and smiled.

"Ah! There you are! I was about to go looking for you!" Ming was dressed in a light brown traveling dress and a white apron. She was also wearing hiking boots and an average sized backpack.

"Is everyone ready to go? We should go now, while the sun is still high in the sky," Zane said, looking out the window at the sun, which was just reaching its peak. Ming nodded and the travelers (now including Ming) walked out of the restaurant and out of town, towards the looming form of Mount Vetruvius.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"17 bottles of tea on the wall! 17 bottles of tea! You take one down, pass it around, there are 16 bottles of tea on the wall! 16 bottles of tea on the wall! 16 bottles of tea..." the adventurers, excluding Morro and Ming, sang as they trudged through a lightly forested area. Ming had been singing along with the others, but she had gotten tired quickly since she rarely did that much walking. Morro wasn't singing because he didn't feel like it. The sun was setting, and the travellers were searching for a place to set us camp for the night. However, since there were trees scattered around everywhere, it was hard to find a a place big enough to put their camp.

"Ooh! Ooh! There's a good place! No wait... tree. Oh-oh-oh wait! There!" Jay pointed to a small clearing in the woods on a mild slope.

"Too steep, Jay." Zane replied as the others stopped singing to listen. "We need to find a small, very flat clearing with no trees on it. Everyone, start looking." Some people clicked on their flashlights, since it was getting too dark to see well, while others used their elemental powers to create light. Eventually, Kayson called out,

"This should work!" the piece of land he found fit Zane's specifications exactly, so the party quickly set up up camp and had a quick meal provided by T.E.C.M.I.. They then put out their fire and most of them went to sleep. Morro lay on his bedroll and stared up at the stars. As he lay there in silence, he heard a rustle and saw Indigo stand up and quietly sneak out of camp. After a moment, Morro stood up as well and followed her, wondering what she was up to. He too, vanished into the night.

* * *

 **Y'know, Kai actually called Lloyd a grasshopper once in the show. Season 2 Episode 2. Gee, I wonder where Indigo's going?**

 **This was a bit of a weird chapter, mostly just funny stuff. Next chapter will be full of plot-y stuff. AND ROMANCE-**

 **Morro has something to say.**

 **Morro: Yes. Ahem. I think I have enough cookies now, I have enough to last me at least 2 years. Give some to Jay instead, will you? :)**

 **Jay: Yes, exactly. Give me cookies. ;D**

 **Morro: Yes. And I love Indigo like crazy.**

 **Indigo: What?**

 **Jay: Whatever. Give me cookies, reviewers!**

 **Morro: *chokes* ITS ALL LIES! I WAS BEING POSSESSED BY FLUFF!**

 **Me: Quiet, you! And it's "fuhf", not "fluff".**

 **Indigo: Oh. I thought that line about loving me was weird.**

 **Lloyd: What's going on?**

 **Indigo: GRASSHOPPER! *pounces on Lloyd like a cat***

 **Lloyd: YIKES! *runs away***

 **...I think this is getting out of hand.**

 **So, also, T.E.C.M.I. is not a major character. Just a side character for laughs.**

 **That's it for today, folks!**

 **~FFF**


	10. Paper Tigers

**WOOOOOOOOOOP! WOOOOOOOOOP! WOOOOOOOP! WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS ANGST, CRYING, HURT/COMFORT, AND *choke* ROMANCE(only a slight tiny itty-bitty bit)! In the first paragraph, anyway. The second is mostly just funny. ^ ^**

 **Review replies:**

 **Breana: Jay thanks you happily and runs off to eat cookies. ;D**

 **wizard: Jay is insulted that you think he could be fooled by such a cheap triiiiiiiiii... he just ate one. Oi. Why shoot fire at Morro? :(**

 **SilverKunoichi1212: Ah. You mean because of the tomorrow's tea. I actually think he only aged 3 or 4 years, not 7 or 8. But whatever.**

 **Wanli8970: Well I would. Like Angel Star Ninja said, sometimes your inner fangirl takes over. *nods wisely* It'll be a few chapters, since I have so many evil plans in store for them already... hehehehehehhehh...**

 **Angel: I told Indigo not to pounce on Lloyd and she agreed. Then she snuck off in the middle of the night, though. Ally is glad you like Techi. I hope you like T.E.C.M.I. too! Your friendship fluff short story is adorable. Morro and Lloyd is the best PLATONIC pair ever. Never romantic. Sorry there's none in this chapter.**

 **Kairocksrainbow: Cole and Kayson are rivals confirmed. And Kaysom, it's fine with me if you don't want to be paired with Ming. I'm not really practiced with writing romance anyway. This will be the first romance story I've ever written. :o Haha! Your reviews always brighten my day. (cherry airheads! yay!)**

 **Bob: Yay! Cookies! *gobbles cookies* Morro thanks you and so do I.**

 **And now... TO THE CHAPTER! (don't say I didn't warn you)**

* * *

Chapter 9

Morro slipped through the trees, his years of training with Sensei Wu coming back to him, as he followed Indigo through the darkness. She wasn't nearly as stealthy as he was, he noted. She kept stepping on leaves and twigs that made audible crackles in the still night air. He stopped abruptly when he saw her emerge from the woods back into the desert. She sat on top of a mound of sand and hugged her knees to her chest, staring over the desert in the direction of New Ninjago City. She looked down at the desert, which looked silver-blue under the light of the stars, and let out a deep sigh. She looked up at the stars and started humminging softly to herself. A few moments later, she began to sing.

 _"Heart pounds to the sounds coming after me_

 _step back, what is that, it's a mystery?_

 _is it something, probably nothing, still I find a way to scare myself._

 _'till I remember_

 _this all feels familiar_

 _and I'm no better._

 _They're only paper tigers, following me_

 _In the wild, imagination, of the make believe, oh._

 _And there's a fighter, a survivor,_

 _oh, rising in me_

 _I'm not afraid, of paper tigers..."_ she trailed off and was silent. After a few moments, Morro spoke up.

"What was that?" he asked, taking a step out of the trees. Indigo gasped, jumping to her feet and spinning around.

"Don't spy on me!" she hissed venomously. "I can sing if I want to."

"I didn't say otherwise." Morro replied dryly. "I'll repeat my question. What was that?"

"A song, genius." she muttered.

"What song?" he prodded.

"A song I made up. It's called paper tigers." she replied at last. "Now go away."

"No. " Morro walked up to the mound of sand and sat down near (but not too near) her. "What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?"

"Thinking." she replied vaguely, before turning back in the direction of her home.

"About what?" he wasn't sure why, but he had a strange desire to know more about this mysterious girl.

"Home." she replied simply. After a second, she continued. "I watched you, y'know. You and the others who lived in those alleys. I almost gave you some of our food once, when you couldn't find any, but we needed it."

"We?" Morro narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "You said you had no friends or family."

"Oh. Um... I have my cat. Daggerclaws. He's like my bodyguard. As well as being my best friend." Indigo's voice cracked slightly on the last word. She took a shuddering breath and continued. "I told him to stay behind, because I wasn't sure he'd be comfortable with such a long trip." a tear slipped down her cheek. "...I miss him..." she buried her face in her hands and her body shook slightly. Morro hesitated, then moved closer to her and put an arm around her shoulders. Indigo sniffled and leaned into his arm slightly, grateful for the comfort. They stayed there, on the sand dune, until they both fell asleep.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"BWEEPBWEEPBWEEPBWEEPBWEEPBWEEPBWEEPBWEEPBWEEPBWEE-" Jay threw a rock at the beeping T.E.C.M.I.

"Shuuuuuut uuuuuuuuuup... I'm sleeeeeepiiiiiiiing..." he moaned, covering his ears.

"Rise and shine, campers! Time to get up and eat some tasty food! Mmm-mmm!" T.E.C.M.I.'s cheerful voice boomed through her speakers, waking the entire camp. "Today's special breakfast is dirt salad! Sure, it has some dirt in it, but it has a few tasty rocks too, and even some minerals! As a side dish, we have some delicious hard tack, which is sooooooooooo hard, you can barely chomp it! But it's good for your camper teeth! And, for dessert, a tasteless, bland, energy drink that actually makes you tired. Not to mention, if you get the whole meal, you get a BONUS free energy bar, made with blueberries and high-quality hay!"

"Uh..." Kai sat up with a groan. "...no thanks."

"Oh. Ok. You could also try our roadkill-that's-been-run-over-by-a-jeep special. We have squirrels, badgers-"

"No, how about just a pizza?" said Cole.

"Pizza?" T.E.C.M.I. paused. "Did you want a woodchuck on that?"

"No!" Kai yelled. "Just give us a normal pizza!"

"Okay, okay, alright. What kind would you like? We have pepperoni, cheese, sausage, veggie pizza, meat pizza, tofu pizza, whale blubber pizza, and, if you're looking for something REALLY exotic, we have our live-poisonous-rattlesnakes pizza, our ghost-pepper-and-cheese pizza, our-"

"T.E.C.M.I.? I think we'll just have an extra large with pepperoni." Kayson broke in.

"Just pepperoni?" T.E.C.M.I. sounded sad. "No-no woodchucks, or blubber?"

"No blubber."

"Fine. Insert water into the funnel." T.E.C.M.I. sighed, defeated. A couple minutes later, the party happily enjoyed their pizza, which was fortunately devoid of any woodchucks. It was only then that Lloyd realized that Morro and Indigo were missing.

"Hey... where's Morro? And Indigo?" he asked, looking around the small campsite.

"Oh goff, I hopf they're not off killing eaff other fomwhere." Jay mumbled, his mouth full of pizza. Lloyd opened his mouth to answer, but Ming cut him off, saying,

"There they are!" and pointing to the woods behind him. Lloyd turned around to see Morro and Indigo walking, side by side, towards the camp. They weren't arguing, or even glaring at each other, and neither one looked injured, much to Lloyd's surprise. They walked into camp silently and Indigo helped herself to a piece of pizza. Morro walked over to his bedroll and began to roll it up. In response to their confused looks, Indigo smiled brightly before taking a bite of her pizza. The others exchanged glances as they finished their meal. After breakfast, they packed up their stuff and set off again. A few minutes after they started, Jay walked over to Lloyd and whispered,

"Where do you think they went?" Lloyd looked over at Morro and Indigo, who were walking next to each other and occasionally conversing in low tones.

"No idea." he responded to Jay. "You could ask them."

"Bleh, no way! I'm not talking to creepy vampire girl and creepy ghost guy." Jay whispered, sticking out his tongue. He then walked off to join Kai and Kayson in singing "99 Bottles of Tea on the Wall". Lloyd sighed. Would the others ever accept Morro? It looked like Indigo had accepted him, at least, and he had accepted her. He could only hope that, in time, the others would too.

* * *

 **I warned you. I didn't think it was too bad, though. Did you think it was sappy? Definitely a bit short, though.**

 **Just a minor thing, Jay's referencing Indigo as a vampire was just due to the fact that she sucks energy out of people. She's not ACTUALLY a vampire.**

 **This fanfiction is giving me lots of material for dreams. Last night I dreamed I was working at a spy agency and I got kidnapped by evil ghosts and the Ninja had to hire Morro to rescue me. It was quite fun. I also dreamed that my backyard was on fire, but that's mostly unrelated.**

 **The song, Paper Tigers, does not belong to me. It's by Jaci Velesquez, and it's an awesome song, so look it up.**

 **Aaaaaand... I think that's it for today! Hope you liked the chapter!**

 **~FFF**


	11. Storms

**WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MINOR VIOLENCE! Ahem. I hope you like today's episode of Return to the Cursed Realm!**

 **Review replies:**

 **Angel: I'm glad you think it's cute. :) All the ninja except Kai agree and back away from you slowly. Kai sorta has a grudge against Morro... (Kai: HE LEFT ME ON A STICK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN TO GET EATEN BY STRANGLEWEED!) Oh well, Kai. Hope you like bullets. *grabs gun as well***

 **Wanli8970: I know, right? It was awesome. Although later in the dream I got attacked by giant spiders... Ah yes, Jay's brain is one of the great mysteries of the universe...**

 **Kairocksrainbow: Whoops, spelled Kayson "Kaysom" in the last review. Heh. Probably there'll be some tension between them eventually. Maybe. I really have no idea what's going to happen next because Indigo ran off with my plot... (Indigo: *cackles manically while running away with papers*) Well, it SORT OF makes sense. Vampires suck blood, Indigo sucks energy. Both of them "suck the life out of you", so to speak. But Jay is still nuts. He is this story's resident idiot. *nods wisely***

 **As you can see, MadilynJC, Tara makes her first appearance in this chapter. Hope you enjoy it!**

 **And now... LE CHAPTER!**

* * *

Chapter 10

The travelers walked in relative silence as they traversed a rocky area near the bottom of the volcano. They has long since left the woods, and, after crossing a small grassy plain, they had come to a maze of rocks, which they were currently picking their way through. They stopped at a large flat rock for lunch, which T.E.C.M.I. insisted should be dirty water, day-old granola bars, and slabs of rat meat with cheese sauce. The party politely (well, sort of) refused her suggestion and had chinese noodles instead. After their meal, they continued walking, until a crack of thunder resonated through the valley. Cole looked up at the sky, observing the dark, threatening clouds that had gathered over the past hour. He turned to the rest of the party and said,

"We need to find shelter. Everyone, spread out. Look for a cave, or at least a large overhanging rock that we can get under. Hurry, the rain will start soon!" The Ninja and Co. began hurriedly searching the surrounding area. It wasn't long before Jay found a large hole in a big rock, that sloped down a ways and ended in a roomy cave. The adventurers packed inside, and, after covering the entrance with a tarp, settled in the cave, prepared for a long wait. They used T.E.C.M.I. as a light source, since they didn't want to risk burning up all the oxygen with a fire. Jay pulled out a deck of cards and played various games with Kai, Zane, Cole, Kayson, and Indigo for a while before they got bored and fell asleep to the sound of rain pouring on the ground above, the others quick to follow.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Indigo woke up to a shuffling sound. She opened her eyes to see what it was, only to be greeted by pitch blackness. She blinked a few times, trying to decide if her eyes were open or not, before turning her head and seeing a dim light at the end of the tunnel out. She crawled to the entrance of the tunnel and stood up, about to go outside and see if the rain had stopped, when she crashed directly into someone and stepped backwards with an "ow!".

"Hey! Who's there?!" An unfamiliar voice demanded.

"Me? Who are YOU?!" Indigo charged her hands with void energy, casting a dim purple-blue light over the intruder. It was a young woman, she saw, with long black hair that ran down her back and over her shoulders. She had a red ninja hood lying on her shoulders with gold designs on it. She was wearing a sleeveless light-blue shirt and tan shorts, as well as black commando boots. She was clutching the grip of a long, deadly looking whip in her right hand and she had a venomous look on her face. Indigo took an uneasy step backwards and called over her shoulder, "Guys, wake up!" T.E.C.M.I. took this as a cue to light up, so she did, illuminating the cave and waking the others up. After their eyes adjusted to the bright light, and saw Indigo facing off against a mysterious intruder, they grabbed their weapons and jumped to their feet. Quickly realizing she was outnumbered, the woman set her whip on the ground and put her hands in the air.

"Alright, alright, don't get all worked up." she said, sounding almost amused. "Don't kill me."

"We're not going to kill you. We're Ninja." Kai said, lowing his sword slightly.

"Although we might have out resident suck the life out of you." Jay grinned. Everyone else looked confused before Indigo realized he was talking about her.

"Hey! I am NOT a vampire!" she said angrily.

"Whatever." Jay closed his eyes and shrugged.

"So, who are you?" Ming asked the stranger, lowering her broom.

"Name's Tara. Bounty hunter. I'm on the trail of a dangerous criminal that was reported to have been seen heading towards the nearby volcano. I ducked into this tunnel to get out of the rain and crashed into vampire girl here."

"I'm not a vampire!" Indigo argued, offended.

"Whatever, sweety. If it's alright with you, may I stay in your cave until the rain stops?" Tara asked, batting her eyelashes innocently.

"Why not?" Cole shrugged, strapping his aeroblade to his back.

"Sure! You're welcome to stay with us!" Lloyd smiled at her and she smiled back. "We might as well sleep until the rain stops." Lloyd continued, addressing the rest of the party as well. "Let's go back to bed. T.E.C.M.I., please turn off that light." T.E.C.M.I. obliged and the cave was once again plunged into darkness. Indigo let the energy in her hands disperse and walked back to her bedroll with a yawn, only tripping twice along the way. " Kayson turned on a flashlight and everyone lay down to go back to sleep, Tara making herself comfortable on a slab of rock at the entrance to the tunnel. Kayson then clicked off the light and the party began to go to sleep.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Tara gripped the handle of her knife in the darkness, twisting it in her hand as she approached the others. She'd decided that the vampire girl would die first, for threatening her with her powers. Tara approached the girl's resting place- her _final_ resting place, she thought sinisterly - using the dim morning light from through the tunnel to guide her. She knelt beside the girl's bedroll, and, with a little help from a match, located the girl's heart and lifted her knife to strike.

"What are you doing?" Tara almost dropped the knife at the unexpected voice. She quickly slid the knife into her boot and looked around for the speaker. She quickly located one of the ghost boys- Cole? No, his hair was shorter. Morro. Morro was sitting up on his bedroll and staring directly at her from barely a foot away from her. He was glowly slightly so she could see him clearly.

"Looking for something to eat." she lied quickly. Everything she knew about ghosts ran through her mind. She knew that they were unaffected by any of her weapons. They had a weakness... yes, water. There was a water flask in arm's reach, she could kill him if he'd seen. But that would be less that preferable, since he would probably have time to shout a warning to the others before he died, and she couldn't take them all on at once. No, she would only kill him now if she had to. Fortunately, however, it looked like he hadn't seen, as he simply nodded and turned around to dig through a backpack. He soon produced an apple, which he tossed to her. She caught it and flashed him a disarming smile. "Thanks." He nodded again and leaned against the wall, watching the sleeping vampire girl. Clenching her teeth, Tara made her way back to her rock. Tomorrow, she promised herself, she would deal with the upstart... for good.

* * *

 **DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUN! OHHH THE CLIFFHANGERS! wow I made a cl** **iffhanger. Bit of a short chapter, oh well.**

 **One thing I've done while working on this fic is gain a new sense of appreciation for my fanfiction-writing friends. It's hard work!**

 **Wow. One chapter with her in it and she's already trying to kill them. Indigo sure is observant, though. Noticed everything about Tara in dim purple-blue light. She was fun to describe. ^ ^**

 **So, Tara's personality is sort of based on Rouge the Bat from the Sonic the Hedgehog fandom. But more crazy and evil. Sorry if that's not what she's supposed to be like, MadilynJC, but you really didn't give me any information on her personality, so I just gave her one. She calls Indigo "vampire girl" because she doesn't know her name, so she just calls her what Jay calls her.**

 **Don't worry Indigo, Morro won't let Tara stab you! :D**

 **Tara: *about to stab Indigo***

 **Morro: What are you doing?**

 **Tara: WAH! *drops knife* Ow. Um, looking for something to eat! :D**

 **Morro: *skeptical* With a knife? -.-**

 **Tara: Um, yes. It's a, um, magic knife. It can, um, find uh, food. In caves.**

 **Me: Tara, you're failing. Fortunately for you that didn't actually happen.**

 **Indigo: Quiet, I'm trying to sleep!**

 **Before I forget, I'm closing OC entries for now. I've got too many to deal with. So, until further notice I will not be accepting OC applications. Just a heads-up.**

 **I might do a short Lloyd and Morro platonic fluff chapter sometime because platonic fluff is adorable. :3**

 **So there you go! Hoped you liked the chapter! I liked writing it. :)**

 **~FFF**


	12. Brotherly Love

**Hello everyone! This was originally going to be a short, fluffy chapter with Lloyd and Morro, but I kept adding to it so I just made it a full length one. Fun fact, when I was writing this on paper and I was writing the title I accidently wrote "Llove" instead of "Love". Just goes to show you that I write Lloyd too much. XD**

 **Review replies:**

 **MadilynJC: Right on the first try! Yay! I looked up Neyla. Now I have a great mental image of Tara. :) BTW, I think I'm going to make Tara around 25 instead of 17 because I need more backstory for her. Is that okay?**

 **Angel: Indigo is glad you're standing up for her, and Tara walks off muttering. This chapter is for you, I hope you like it. ^ ^**

 **Windy: I'm so glad you like this so much! I know I would die if I couldn't talk to my internet friends all week. Yep, platonic love is friendship love. :) Yeah, Tara is nuts. Well, sort of. I'm still working her out. But yeah. Evil. Thanks! I'm glad you like her name. Morro, you can deny it all you want. It doesn't make it any less true. (Morro: But I don't like her!)**

 **Kairocksrainbow: We really need to split those two up before they blow up the Bounty... and seriously, Kayson? Tables? Ha! *throws table at Kayson* YOU WILL DIE FOR KILLING COLE! Okay, knocking him out. But whatever.**

 **iluvninjagothenextstepgirl: Nope, that was Indigo. Tara's a different one.**

 **Let us now read le chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 11

Morro lay back against the cold, stone wall, watching Indigo sleep peacefully. He wasn't sure what that "Tara" girl was doing when he caught her, but it wasn't looking for food. He'd thought he saw a flash of light off of metal, right before he startled her. A knife, maybe. Whatever the case, he was determined to keep an eye on her so she didn't try anything. He would simply have to stay awake all night. But his mind nagged at him, telling him that he had to sleep sometime. He would have to tell someone about his suspicions. But he pushed those thoughts aside, telling himself that he could do just fine on his own. For hours, he sat against the wall, watching Indigo sleep and listening to Tara muttering in her corner. He tried to stay away, but the darkness was so peaceful, he could barely keep his eyes open...

Morro's eyes snapped open. He realized he had fallen asleep and quickly turned to where Tara was lying on her rock. Seeing her motionless, he turned to Indigo, who had changed positions but was still sleeping peacefully. Morro exhaled silently. He would need to confide in someone, he couldn't do this alone. And the only one he trusted, besides Indigo, was Lloyd. Morro silently got to his feet, using his slight glow to find his best friend among the piles of people and supplies. He soon located the Green Ninja, fast asleep and sprawled across his bedroll. Morro gently shook Lloyd's shoulder, whispering his name urgently to wake him. After a few moments, Lloyd's eyes blinked open and he focused on Morro.

"Morro? What is it?" he whispered tiredly, sitting up.

"I need your help. Come with me." Morro tugged Lloyd to his feet and carefully led him across the cave towards Indigo. "I woke up earlier and saw Tara leaning over Indigo. I asked her what she was doing and she said she was looking for food, but I think she had a knife. I need to keep an eye on her, but I need to sleep before I pass out. Can you stay up and watch Tara? I don't want her killing us in our sleep." Morro whispered in a rush.

"Of course." Lloyd nodded, now fully awake. "But why not just tell everyone?"

"If I'm right and she is planning to kill us, I don't want her to know that we know." Morro replied, still whispering. "And if I'm wrong, it wouldn't be fair to have everyone suspicious of her if she's innocent."

"Right. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her. You should sleep." Lloyd said, sinking down to lean against the wall next to Morro's bedroll.

"Wake me when you get tired..." Morro murmured, lying down on his bedroll.

"That's alright. I've already had plenty of sleep." Lloyd replied. There was silence in the cave for a few moments before Lloyd spoke up. "Morro?"

"Yes?" Morro asked, eyes half open.

"I'm glad you trust me."

"Why wouldn't I?" Morro sat up, meeting Lloyd's bright green eyes with his pale green ones. "You're the one who befriended me, and gave me food, and a home, even after all I've done to you..." Morro trailed off, looking at the ground as he remembered all the times he hurt Lloyd, mostly mentally but physically as well, when he possessed him. Lloyd was apparently remembering the same things, as he closed his eyes and a pained expression crossed his face. It quickly vanished, however, and he met Morro's eyes again.

"That was the past." Lloyd smiled. "I believe in you." he looked down at Indigo, who was still fast asleep. "When we first met Indigo, she scared me. She still scares me, a little. But I always knew I could trust you and the others to take care of me. And if Tara does turn out to be evil," Lloyd's face took on a serious expression and he turned back to Morro. "I trust that you can keep me safe." Morro smiled genuinely and hugged the younger boy, not trusting himself to speak for fear that his voice would crack. Lloyd hugged him back. They stayed like that for a few minutes, before Morro finally pulled away and lay down on his bedroll, the hours watching Tara without rest finally taking their toll. Within moments, he was asleep.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Tara lay motionless on her rock, contemplating the conversation she had just heard. Lloyd and Morro had apparently had a rocky beginning to their friendship, which she gathered from Morro saying "after all I've done to you". She'd have to find out what happened, maybe she could use it to generate distrust between them. It was a pity she hadn't heard the whole conversation, they were speaking too quietly for her to hear them for a while. Oh well. She was resourceful. She could do her job. As long as she got paid, she could do anything her client asked, if it be to split the volcano in two. She smiled, thinking of the payment her client had waiting for her. Once she had that, she could retire from this dangerous job and settle down in a small town somewhere, maybe marry... Tara frowned, thinking of the last person she had trusted. She growled inwardly, pushing the thoughts of _him_ out of her mind and rolling over, determined to go to sleep.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"...rro...Morro...Wake up, Morro!" Morro opened his eyes to see Lloyd shaking his shoulder lightly. "The rain's finally stopped! We can leave!" Lloyd told him excitedly as Morro sat up. The rest of the party was milling around the cave, packing up supplies and listening to T.E.C.M.I. talk about the latest breakfast special.

"...a delicious omelette, with three cheeses and mushrooms!"

"Wow, I think her suggestions are getting better!" Cole said as he rolled up his bedroll.

"...with boiling hot chocolate sauce!"

"Nope." Kai replied. "Still bad as ever." They continued packing until a loud sound from the tunnel interrupted them.

"Meow." All heads turned towards the entrance of the tunnel, and Morro saw a large cat standing there. He was gray with black stripes and a white belly and feet, and there was a piece of wire wrapped loosely around his neck in a crude collar. The end of the wire was coiled into a spiral, which hung on the front of his neck over his chest. There was silence for a moment before Indigo let out a high pitched shriek and dropped the heavy backpack in her hand (onto Jay's foot) and dashed towards the cat, scooping him up into her arms and twirling around.

"Daggerclaws! I've missed you SO much!" she set the cat down on the ground and knelt next to him. "What are you doing here? I told you to stay at home!" Indigo tried to act stern but failed miserably. Daggerclaws tilted his eat and flicked his tail, letting out two sharp meows. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself!" Indigo argued, still smiling.

"Uh, Indigo? Why are you talking to the cat?" Kayson asked, walking towards her. Daggerclaws whirled around and hissed at Kayson, his claws bared and his fur standing on end. Indigo laughed and smoothed his fur down.

"No worries, they're friends. Everyone, this is Daggerclaws. He's my best friend." Daggerclaws relaxed and sat back on his hind feet, lifting one front paw into the air. Jay laughed and waved.

"I thought you said you didn't have any friends." Nya raised an eyebrow.

"I do." Indigo said, without going into details.

"Well guys, looks like we have a new addition to our team." Kai announced. Daggerclaw flicked his ear and meowed again.

"You're friends now." Indigo translated. "He'll take care of you."

"Ha! I don't need a _cat_ to take care of me!" said Jay proudly.

"Well, you don't want him fighting you." Indigo said with a smirk, picking at a fingernail boredly. "Y'know why I named him "Daggerclaws"?"

Laughter could be heard from outside the cave, followed by a scream and a loud meow.

* * *

 **DUN DUN DUUUUU- oh wait, that wasn't a cliffhanger.**

 **Yay! Daggerclaws is back! And yes, Indigo can talk to cats. She lived with one her entire life, sooo...**

 **I would've gotten this out sooner, but I just got YouTube privileges (WAHOOOOOOOOO) and it distracted me.**

 **Ooooooh, Tara has a mysterious past. Spooky scary.**

 **I was listening to the coolest song while I was writing this. Odds and Ends, by Miku Hatsune. It's REALLY pretty.**

 **Morro's references to hurting Lloyd were when, say, he tossed him into a river in Grave Danger. Not to mention beating him up in Winds of Change. As for mentally, I'm sure it's not fun being possessed.**

 **I'm sure you all hate Tara now, for plotting to ruin our favorite Green Ninja and ghost boy's friendship. I know I do. Did you think the first part was cute? I did. :D**

 **All you christians out there, please pray for my ex-friend, A (I don't think she'd like me giving out her name online). We were REALLY great friends a couple years ago, but she's not a christian, and I really want her to be saved. So, please pray.**

 **And there you go! Hope you liked the chapter!  
**

 **~FFF**


	13. Selenophobia

**Hello everyone! I'm happy today because it's Sunday and I went to church and sang songs and my parents are thinking about letting me go to youth group! :D Yay! I'm also happy because I have so many awesome reviewers. ^ ^ Thank you everyone who prayed for A! And, to everyone who's wondering what the title means, you'll find out soon enough.**

 **Windy: Thanks for telling me about swimmerninja13's prayer story. I just requested that she pray for A. :) I'm so happy to hear that you're a christian like me. I added more platonic fluff for all you fluff-lovers in this chapter. I believe you. Everyone except Tara is happily eating cookies, and Tara is sitting in a corner muttering again. Good for you for not trusting her, she's a rotten egg.**

 **Breana: Morro and Lloyd cuteness is indeed forever. ^ ^ They happily accept your cookies, as do I.**

 **Kairocksrainbow: Oooooh... gosh, sorry Kayson. Guess that table was harder than I thought. Your story was cute. :) Thank you for praying for A.**

 **Angel: YEAH, DIE TARA, DIE! Meh, I'll get rid of her at some point. But probably not death by crazy cats, sadly. XD I have actually never read any of the warrior cat books. Just so you know. I came up with Daggerclaws when I was playing a game with my brothers and one of my cats. No worries, my inner fangirl does that all the time.**

 **I'd like to take a moment to say thank you to my beloved cat, Kazuma Daggerclaws, for inspiring Daggerclaws in this story as well as another character named (surprise) Daggerclaw in a game I made once. Say hi, Kazuma!**

 **Kazuma: Zzzzzzz...**

 **Oh. Well. Have fun sleeping then. Don't let King kill you in your sleep. (King is Kazuma's brother. They fight a lot.)**

 **And now... well, you know what now.**

* * *

Chapter 12

It was early afternoon when the travelers finally set off. Indigo was happily chattering about her cat, who was trotting along proudly beside her. Jay was muttering angrily and patching up the various scratches he had received in his brief fight with Daggerclaws. Tara, who had decided to tag along in the hopes of catching her thief, was making small talk with Ming about Ming's horse, Gleam, and Kayson was listening to his iPod and nodding his head to the beat of the music. The rest of the party was once again singing "99 Bottles of Tea on the Wall", even Morro, if not very loudly. They traveled through the afternoon and into the evening, pausing for a quick dinner of ham sandwiches, despite T.E.C.M.I.'s insistence that it should be "a shrimp and noodle dish, slathered with barbeque sauce and horseradish, along with a delicious side of prune juice". Cole suggested after dinner that they stop there for the night, but Zane said,

"If we continue through the night, at our current speed, we will reach the edge of the mountain at 2:46 AM tomorrow. Besides, we've all had plenty of sleep already." All the others agreed, except for Morro and Lloyd, who looked at each other with tired eyes but said nothing. And so, the Ninja and Co. continued to trudge through the night.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"I spyyyyy... another star!" Jay exclaimed, pointing at a dot of light in the sky among millions of others.

"Jay, how did you ever become a ninja?" Cole asked, folding his arms across his chest. Jay sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Cole, you simply have no appreciation for my powers of observation." he aid smugly. "Hey! Rhyme!" he shouted after a second. Cole face-palmed. It was around 11:30 PM, an the travelers were enjoying a view of billions of stars covering the sky. Most of the adventurers were walking silently and simply enjoying the view, but Jay continued to chatter about various things. Jay's goofiness wasn't an entirely bad thing, however, as it was the only thing keeping Lloyd awake, who was leaning heavily on Morro. He had apparently gotten less sleep then he thought the previous night. The adventurers walked relative silence (silence except for Jay's chattering and the occasional comment from one of the others) for a few minutes until Jay said, "Hey look, the moon!" This brought on a reaction that no one could have anticipated, as Li Ming screamed in terror and jumped behind a large rock, startling everyone. Ming continued to scream, growing more and more high-pitched, until everyone else was covering their ears, some yelling for her to stop.

"MING, STOP! YOU'RE GOING TO KILL US ALL!" Jay screamed.

"What's wrong?! Quiet down and tell us what's wrong!" Tara hissed loudly. Ming didn't stop. Finally, Nya stumbled over to Ming and clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Ming. Shut. Up." Nya growled. Ming stopped screaming and nodded, her eyes wide with fear. The others stood up from where they had collapsed, groaning.

"Wow. You weren't kidding about your voice, little screecher." Kai rubbed his ears. "I'll let you know when my ears stop ringing."

"Sorry." Ming whispered from under Nya's hand. Nya slowly uncovered Ming's mouth and Ming whimpered slightly.

"Tell us what's wrong, dear." Tara told her, putting a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. Ming nodded slowly and whispered,

"The moon monster."

"What?" Tara looked at the sliver of moon in the sky. "Darling, the moon isn't a monster."

"I know..." Ming took a deep breath. "I have Selenophobia. The fear of the moon. When I was younger, my cousins cursed me with the moon monster curse."

"What's that?" Lloyd asked. He had been completely woken up when Ming started to scream.

"The curse makes you have to endure nightmares of trying to avoid a moon monster for three nights." Ming explained. "I've been frightened of the moon ever since."

"No kidding..." Kai muttered, rubbing his ears again.

"How did your cousins curse you?" Zane asked.

"To cast the curse, you have to say, "I hereby summon the moon monster to hunt you down for three nights", in chinese." Ming said.

"You mean, like this? Zài cǐ, wǒ zhàohuàn yuèliàng guài- owwwww!" Jay yelped as Cole elbowed him in the ribs.

"Don't cast the curse, zap-trap!" Cole rolled his eyes at Jay's stupidity.

"Well... what do we do now?" Nya asked, turning to the other Ninja.

"We could wait until morning." Jay suggested.

"No, we need to get to the mountain as soon as possible." Lloyd insisted.

"I propose we blindfold her and carry her the remainder of the way to the volcano." Zane advised the others.

"Is that okay?" Tara asked the shivering 14-year-old, who nodded. Tara then pulled a length of cloth from a pouch at her waist and tied it around the younger girl's eyes. Cole then picked up Ming bridal-style, since he was the strongest and wouldn't get tired as easily as the rest. Ming's panicked breathing steadily slowed until it was normal, and the party began to walk again. After about an hour, Ming relaxed in Cole's arms, asleep. Tara walked next to Cole, keeping an eye on her young friend with a small smile on her face. Morro noticed this, as he carried the long-since-asleep Lloyd, and he couldn't help wondering, could her friendship with Ming be real? Or was it simply a ploy to get closer to the team? Whatever the case, Morro would take care of his friends, and prove himself worthy of Lloyd's trust.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Cole walked across the large, flat rocks at the foot of the mountain. Ming shifted in his arms, still fast asleep, and Tara smiled from beside him. She sure had befriended Ming fast, Cole noted. Ming already trusted her completely, although, she seemed to be a very trusting girl. And Tara, she seemed to be very friendly with all of them, but she loved talking to Ming the most. At the beginning, Cole was suspicious of the strange woman who barged into their cave soaking wet in the middle of the night. But, then again, who wouldn't? Besides, if Tara had wanted to kill them or something, wouldn't she have knifed them in their sleep? Cole almost chuckled at the insane thought.

"Are you and Morro related?" Tara's voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Nah." he replied after a second. "He's actually a former enemy. Lloyd said he's 'reformed', but I'm not sure about that." Cole glanced back at Morro, who was carrying Lloyd and seemed to be lost in thought.

"Really?" Tara looked intrigued, then smiled. "Tell me more."

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Zane looked up at the volcano looming in front of them front the head of the procession. Ming's panic attack had slowed them down considerably, since not only were they delayed, but they were now moving at only 0.705882353 of their original speed, due to Cole having to carry her. Zane looked backwards to see how Cole was faring and noticed for the first time that Morro was carrying Lloyd, who was fast asleep. Zane had to admit, even though Morro was their bitter enemy in the past, he truly seemed to have changed. Morro hadn't shown even a hint of malice towards the others, except towards Indigo for attempting to kidnap Lloyd. Although... Zane looked closer and saw that Morro was glaring at Tara, who appeared to be having a friendly chat with Cole. Zane frowned in confusion. Why would Morro dislike Tara? She seemed innocent enough, and Morro hadn't seemed to distrust Kayson, Ming, or Indigo. Perhaps she unintentionally insulted him or Lloyd, whom he was very protective of, or she reminded him of someone he disliked. Whatever the case, Zane was sure it couldn't be too serious. After all, Morro was a ghost, who knew what went on in his head? Zane was so wrapped up in these thoughts that he barely noticed how close he was to the volcano until P.I.X.A.L. alerted him from the corner of his vision.

 _"Zane, you are on a collision course with the mountain."_ She warned him. Zane snapped out of his thoughts and stopped a foot away from the rock face.

 _"Thank you, P.I.X.A.L."_ he thanks her silently. "We," he announced to the others out loud. "have arrived."

* * *

 **Yay, they finally made it to the mountain! Woohoo!**

 **Did anyone catch Jay and Cole's quote from episode something of Ninjago season 2? It was, "I spyyyyyyy... another tree!" "Jay, how did you ever become a ninja?" Except I changed "tree" to "star".**

 **Hmm, looks like Tara has a soft spot for Ming... or does she? ONLY I KNOW, MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!**

 **Poor Lloyd, so tired. Good thing Morro's there to carry him.** ^u^

 **Yes, Cole, Tara knifing you in your sleep is ridiculous. Right? Oh wait... Well, Tara knows everything now. We'll see how that turns out.**

 **Yay, Zane accepted Morro! That's always good! Now for Jay... *rubs hands together evilly* Speaking of Jay, maybe I'll give him another crazy dream. Those are always fun to write.**

 **Well, there you have it! Peace out, chums!**

 **~FFF**


	14. The Volcano

**Hello once again everyone! Did I ever tell you I'm homeschooled? Well, I am, and my Mom just told me that this fanfiction qualifies as schoolwork! Woohoo! Hope y'all have a lovely monday!**

 **Review replies:**

 **Angel: YES, TARA DESERVES IT! Everyone will agree when they're finished reading this chapter. And that is the PERFECT way to get Tara to do something.**

 **Windy: It is indeed the best. ^ ^ Only I know... mwahahahahahaaaa... Poor Cole gets no cookies. Oh well. She can't stab HIM in his sleep! I know, Morro carrying Lloyd is adorable ;3 It was so fun to write. I know. I can't wait to meet you in heaven. :D Jessica will be the next one to show up. :) See you next friday. :(**

 **Kairocksrainbow: Again, sorry Kayson. Here, have some magic Author candy. It's been scientifically proven to cure brain damage. Next time I'll just throw dollhouse tables at him. BURNED BY A CAT ahahahaha that made me laugh so much. Jay, get out of the north pole, fool! xD**

 **Bob: Thanks for the encouragement (and the cookies)!**

 **Breana: No one should trust her. *shakes head solemnly* My Author Evil Alarm (AEA) is beeping like crazy. And no, Alex won't show up for a little while. Sorry. (spoiler: he's in the cursed realm)**

 **SilverKunoichi1212: Sorry, she won't show up for a few more chapters. I hope you enjoy the story while you wait.**

 **Le chapter... has arrived.**

* * *

Chapter 13

"We," Zane announced. "have arrived." There was silence in the small valley as the travelers, except the ones who were asleep, stopped and stared in awe at the enormous mountain above them. Jay broke the silence a moment later by exclaiming,

"Finally! I thought we'd never get here!" Morro shushed him, not wanting him to wake Lloyd.

"So..." Cole said quietly after a few moments. "Morro, how do we get in?"

"First we need to get on top of this cliff." Morro gestured to the rock face in front of them. "We will have to use airjitzu, I don't think there's any other way up."

"But some of us don't know airjitzu." Tara spoke up.

"Some of us don't even know what airjitzu is." Indigo said. "Namely me."

"Airjitzu is a ninja move that lets you fly, in simple terms." Kayson explained. To demonstrate, he created an indigo tornado and flew up to the top of the cliff. The ninja and Morro gaped in shock.

"How-how-how the heck do you know Cyclon-Do?!" Jay stuttered.

"What?" Kayson tilted his head in confusion.

"He means Airjitzu." Kai explained.

"Oh. I just picked it up somewhere." Kayson shrugged from on top of the cliff.

"Okay. Well, Tara and I don't know Airjitzu, or Cyclon-Do, or whatever, so how do we get up?" Indigo asked, scooping up Daggerclaws in her arms.

"We can carry you." Kai shrugged, before fixing Morro with a pointed stare. "Morro, wake up Lloyd." Kai then turned to Cole. "Cole, you take Ming. I'll take Tara. Zane, you take Ind-"

"I can take Indigo." Morro interrupted him. Morro then set Lloyd on the ground and proceeded to shake him gently, quickly waking him up.

"Whatever. Suit yourself." Kai shrugged. He wrapped his arms around Tara and flew up to the top of the cliff in a red tornado, setting her down when he reached the top. Cole flew up with Ming, and Zane, Jay, and Lloyd quickly followed them up. Morro then walked over to Indigo, who was staring up at the cliff nervously and squeezing Daggerclaws (who seemed unphased by the whole thing) tightly. Morro wrapped his arms around her securely and quickly flew her up, letting go of her once they were on solid ground. She opened her eyes, which had been squeezed shut, and, seeing the edge of the cliff barely two feet away, she quickly dashed away from it.

"Now what?" Zane asked Morro.

"Up this path is a large hole in the side of the mountain." Morro replied. "It leads to a series of tunnels in the depths of the mountain. And somewhere in there, is the portal."

"Great. Any idea how far it is to this hole?" Cole asked.

"Maybe..." Morro thought for a moment. "Maybe a couple of hours up the mountain."

"It will be daylight then." Zane gestured to the slightly-glowing sky.

"Right. Well, let's get going." Kai said, starting to walk up the path, The others nodded and began to follow.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

The group of adventurers ascended the volcano in the crisp morning air. Ming had woken up just after sunrise, and was now happily walking with Tara, the events of he previous night apparently forgotten. Indigo was inching along close to the rock wall on the right side of the path. When Morro eventually asked her why she was doing it, she admitted that she was afraid of heights. Daggerclaws walked on her left protectively, glaring at the edge of the cliff from time to time. Kayson was once again listening to music, and Zane was entertaining the other ninja by singing his famous "funny switch" song. Morro had said that the hole would be nearby, so everyone was watching for it, but it turned out they didn't need to since the path went straight into it. Morro confirmed that it was the one, and they party walked inside. They walked through a mostly-straight tunnel for about five minutes before coming to a fork in the tunnel, where it split into two. One tilted slightly up and the other sloped slightly down. Morro said he didn't remember which one it was, but he remembered that most of the tunnels he traveled through while getting out sloped down, so the portal was most likely high up. Armed with this information, the party took the upper passage. Unfortunately, that soon led to another fork, which led to another, and another, until they were hopelessly and completely lost. They were using torches and Kai's hands for light now, since any light from outside was long gone. Lloyd and Zane agreed that their best course of action was to simply wander through the caves at random, leaving a trail of some sort behind them so they knew where they'd already been. Kai and Cole then smashed a boulder into pebbles, which Lloyd dropped behind them as they once again began to move. They travelled for hours without finding the portal before Lloyd finally called them to a halt, saying they should set up camp and get some sleep. As the others started to make camp, Tara decided that it was time to make her move...

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Tara made her was across the small cave they were set up in towards Lloyd, who was overseeing the work. After making sure Morro wasn't watching, she smiled flirtatiously at Lloyd and said,

"Hey Lloyd!"

"Oh, hey Tara." He smiled back at her before turning back to the others. "Did you want something?"

"Sort of. I was just wondering if you've talked to Morro recently." Tara gestured to Morro, who was talking to Indigo as he helped her unload her backpack.

"Yeah... we talked on the way up the mountain. Why?" Lloyd turned to her, looking a bit confused.

"Well, I was just talking with him and Indigo, and I heard some pretty rotten stuff." Tara shrugged.

"What do you mean?" Lloyd frowned.

"They didn't get along at the beginning, right? Well, now they've agreed on something. They want you for your power."

"W-what?" Lloyd stuttered, shocked. Tara nodded.

"It's true. Morro is just pretending to be your friend so you'll use your power for his benefit. He said that Indigo could have you when he's done." Tara smiled craftily. "They made me promise not to tell, but, as you can see, I lied."

"You ARE lying! Morro would never do that to me! He's my friend!" Lloyd shouted angrily. "I don't believe you!"

"Well, you should think about that, Lloyd. Do you think you should trust me, or the one who possessed you and used your body to hurt your friends?" Lloyd opened his mouth to retort, but Tara had already walked away. After getting a little ways away, she turned around and watched Lloyd clench and unclench his hands as he stared into space. After a few moments, however, his eyes fixed on Morro and doubt flickered across his face. Tara chuckled. Phase one of Operation Separate was complete.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Later that evening, Tara walked over to Morro, who was reading a scroll of something, and sat down next to him.

"Hey Morro!" she said cheerfully. He turned his head and looked at her darkly.

"What do you want?" he almost growled the words at her.

"Hey, no need to get all excited." Tara put up her hands in a nonthreatening gesture. "I just wanted to ask you about Lloyd." Morro glanced at Lloyd, who was leaning against a wall of the cave brooding.

"What about him?"

"Well... do you really trust him?"

"Of course." Morro fixed Tara with a pointed stare. "Why?"

"Well, he doesn't trust you back." Tara announced.

"What?!" Morro glared at her. "That's a lie."

"It's true. He still hates you for what you did to him." Tara couldn't stop a cruel smile from flitting across her face, but fortunately Morro was looking at Lloyd.

"If he hates me so much, then why go to all the trouble of befriending me? Why "pretend" to like me? Explain that, _witch_." Morro snarled, turning back to Tara.

"He wanted information about his father." Tara replied cooly. "And as for the pretending, he made a bet with the other Ninja that he could make you think he's your friend." she shrugged. "If it helps any, I hope he loses."

"You are LYING! Get away from me, liar!" Morro sent a gust of wind at her that sent her flying across the caved. She crashed into a wall next to Lloyd and slid down it.

"Ow." she smiled at Lloyd before hopping to her feet and dusting herself off. "Hi!" she said cheerfully. "Morro's mad I told you his true colors." she shrugged, still smiling, and walked off. She hid behind a rock and turned to gauge the two's reactions. Lloyd's arms were crossed and he was staring at the ground, but fear and worry showed on his face. Morro was watching him with eyes that betrayed the same emotions. Tara grinned, murmuring to herself, "Operation Separate is complete."

* * *

 **Everyone who hates Tara now, please raise your hands... oh wow, that's a lot of hands.**

 **I changed my mind, locking Tara in a room with a screaming Ming is too good for her. Geez, Tara! You're going to give them nightmares!**

 **Everyone, please feel free to kill her at any time, for she has done the ultimate fanfiction wrong: Destroyed Lloyd and Morro's friendship.**

 **Well, I guess that's it for today. Tomorrow, Tara will kill the entire party in their sleep!**

 **...well, probably not, actually. But whatever. I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO KNOWS MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAAAA!**

 **On that note, bye!**

 **~FFF**


	15. Nightmares

**WARNING! FLUFFINESS IS PRESENT IN THIS CHAPTER!**

 **Hey everyone! This morning I logged onto my email and saw a few people gave me great ideas for the next chapter, but... I already wrote the next chapter. Not to mention I had my own ideas of how to deal with her. Heheh. Ahem. However, this chapter is pretty short, time-scale wise, so I can probably... fit... in... some of people's ideas? I got at least 3 different ones, soooo... Cough. I will try.**

 **Wanli8970: I know, right? That chapter was fun to write, mostly because I knew THIS chapter would be even better. As for the moon monster curse... I don't think Ming would cast the curse on her dear, _innocent,_ friend, Tara. (sarcasm) **

**MadilynJC: I think it's funny too. I like writing sneaky evil people. I also like to write them getting what's coming to them. ^ ^**

 **Windy: Hey, you're back! I hope you can read this chapter as well. Yeah, homeschooling's pretty great. It's really flexible so I can practically do it whenever, up until the end of the week. I can't wait to go to heaven! My ultimate dream is to be able to fly, and I think we'll be able to fly in heaven. I just can't wait. ^ ^ Trust me, Tara will get what's coming to her. Not this chapter, but maybe the next one.**

 **Angel: Your wish has been granted... mostly. Not everyone hates her yet, though. And I'll do my best to put your idea into the story... hey wait! Your idea just gave ME an idea! *rubs hands together evilly***

 **Kairocksrainbow: Oh good, poor guy would probably freeze to death if he stayed there too long. Yay! *sends Kayson Get Well Card with more Magic Candy* Candy for me? Yay! *eats candy* Hope you like today's chapter! Psst, do you have any ideas of what I can do with Kayson? He's really not helping the plot much right now.**

 **Breana: Your review made me laugh so much. ^ ^ And I'm not quite sure yet. Perhaps it will have something to do with Tara's mysterious employer.**

 **Guest: Hmm, a mysterious guest. That's a good idea, maybe I'll have T.E.C.M.I. save the day. ^ ^**

 **By the way, y'all, I put a short bio for myself on my profile. You can read it if you like. :D Not all the information there is... eh... entirely accurate.**

 **And now... THE CHAPTER!**

* * *

Chapter 14

 _Lloyd darted through the tunnels, trying to find a way out, but there was none. Indigo's gleeful cackle echoed around him, seeming to come from everywhere at once. Lloyd put on a burst of speed, trying to escape her, but came to an abrupt stop at a dead end. He turned around to run the other way, but Indigo was blocking the only exit. Lloyd looked back and forth frantically, desperate for some way to escape, someone to help him. As Indigo advanced towards him, he spotted Morro standing in the shadows behind her._

 _"Morro!" Lloyd screamed. "Help me!" Morro only smiled cruelly._

 _"I don't think so." he turned around and walked out of the cave. "Tie him up, Indigo." Indigo giggled and held up a coil of rope before grabbing Lloyd's arm. Where did she get that, Lloyd wondered, as he sank to his knees and the world went black._

Lloyd sat up with a start, breathing heavily. His eyes darted around the darkness, finally alighting on Cole, who had agreed to stay up in case of a rockslide or cave in. "It was just a dream..." Lloyd whispered to himself, hugging his knees to his chest. As he sat there in the darkness, his mind wandered to the days before his father was banished to the Cursed Realm. Sometimes he would have nightmares of his father, evil again, and when he woke up he would run to his father for comfort. There's no reason he couldn't do the same with Morro, right? Tara's words came back to him, warning him that Morro wasn't really his friend, but he pushed those thoughts aside and silently stood up, walking through the camp to find Morro. He soon located the ghost boy, and, sitting down next to him, put a hand on his shoulder to shake him awake. But he paused, looking at the expression on Morro's face. His teeth were clenched and his hands were squeezed into tight fists. Lloyd waited for a moment more before starting to shake his shoulder. "Morro, wake up!"

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

 _Morro made his way through endless tunnels. He had to find the portal, had to earn Lloyd's trust. He turned a corner and stopped short, on the edge of a cliff. Peering over the edge, he saw that at the bottom was a black, deadly-looking lake. He started to back away, but the ground under his feet crumbled, sending him plummeting towards the still waters below. Frantically, he twisted in the air and grabbed the cliff's edge with one hand. He tried to use his wind powers to propel himself back up, but they wouldn't work. And, try as he might, he couldn't reach the cliff's edge with his free hand. Just as he started to panic, he saw a familiar flash of green._

 _"Lloyd!" he shouted in relief. "Help me!" Lloyd walked up to the edge of the cliff slowly, looking down at Morro with contempt._

 _"Why should I help_ you _?" Lloyd asked angrily. "You don't deserve it. All you've ever done to me is hurt me, and my friends!" Lloyd's eyes filled with rage. "I hate you!" and he kicked Morro's hand, causing him to lose his grip and plummet towards the water below._

"Morro, wake up!" Morro's eyes flew open, and he instantly registered Lloyd shaking his shoulder. Reflexively, he shrank back, confused from his dream and half-expecting Lloyd to hit him. However, when he met Lloyd's eyes, he saw that the Green Ninja looked sad, afraid, but not angry. "I had a nightmare." Lloyd whispered.

"So did I..." Morro whispered back, sitting up. After a few moments, Lloyd continued.

"I dreamed that Indigo was chasing me through these tunnels, and trying to steal my energy, and I got lost and ended up in a cave with no escape, and you were there but you wouldn't help me!" Lloyd's voice cracked and he took a deep breath. "You were working with her, trying to kidnap me so you could use my powers..." Lloyd trailed off and was silent.

"In my dream..." Morro whispered. "I was looking for the portal and I slipped and fell off a cliff. I caught the edge, but I couldn't climb up. Then you came, and I asked you to help me, but you refused. You said you hated me." Morro stared at his feet. "You kicked my hand and I fell."

"I would never do that." Lloyd frowned indignantly.

"I know. I would never do what I did in your dream, either." the two sat in silence for a few moments. "Lloyd... Tara told me today that you're not my friend, that you're only faking it to get information about your father... that isn't true, is it?" Morro turned to Lloyd to see a shocked expression on his face.

"No, never! I could never do that to you." Lloyd's shocked expression faded, replaced by a thoughtful one. "Tara told ME that you and Indigo are plotting together to use my powers for your benefit!"

"Those are complete lies." Morro turned towards where Tara was sleeping. "She's trying to turn us against each other!"

"But why? What's the purpose of all this?" Lloyd whispered, clenching his hands into fists.

"To stop us from getting to the Cursed Realm?" Morro frowned. "I don't know. What I do know is that we'll need to be on our guard constantly."

"Right." Lloyd turned towards Cole, who was sitting on the other side of the cave humming softly. "It's a good thing I asked Cole to stay up. Tara won't try anything as long as there's a guard. I hope." He added. Lloyd shuddered, the effects of the nightmare still wearing off. Seeing this, Morro wrapped his arms around the young Ninja in an embrace that was gladly returned. They sat there in the silence of the cave for a little more than a minute.

"I hope you don't mind, but I've been listening to your entire conversation." Morro started and Lloyd gasped at the unexpected voice. They quickly located Indigo, who was lying on her stomach casually resting her chin in her hands. "So, Tara's evil?"

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"So, let me get this straight." Indigo said, absent-mindedly stroking Daggerclaws' fur. The three (plus Daggerclaws) had moved to a separate cave so they could talk freely without worrying about being overheard by the others. "Tara's evil, and she tried to kill me in my sleep, and she lied to you two in the hopes of destroying your friendship, and you haven't TOLD anyone?" Morro and Lloyd nodded.

"We weren't sure until tonight. Plus, we want to catch her in the act." Lloyd explained.

"Why?"

"So everyone can see her true colors." Morro replied grimly. "Some of them, particularly Ming, are good friends with Tara. I doubt they'd believe us if we told them what we know." Indigo nodded.

"Makes sense. Oh, and Lloyd, about your dream, don't worry. I'd never hurt you, little grasshopper." she ruffled Lloyd's hair affectionately.

"Yeah, I know. Hey, why do you keep calling me grasshopper?" he pushed her hand away and smoothed down his hair with a grin.

"Simple. You're small, green, and full of energy. Though, I supposed that would made you more like a green kitten, but kittens aren't green, soooo..." Indigo shrugged. "You get it, right?"

"Sort of. Anyway. How are we going to catch Tara?" Lloyd turned to Morro.

"We need some sort of trap..." Morro mused. "Something she can't resist. And for that, we need bait." he and Lloyd turned to Indigo, who stared at them for a moment before groaning.

"I have to be bait?!"

"She's already gone after you once." Lloyd shrugged.

"Being bait is no fun." Indigo fake-pouted for a moment before shrugging. "Whatever. When do we start?"

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

One of the first things that Tara realized after waking up was that her plan had failed. Lloyd and Morro were snuggled up together in their sleep as they lay on top of Lloyd's bedroll like the best friends they were. If they were best friends then they must've made up, which most likely meant they told each other what she'd said. The nightmare spell she'd cast had backfired on her, as the two must've gone to each other for comfort and soon become friends again. Tara sighed and let her face drop into her hands. She'd have to kill them soon, now, before word got out. As soon as everyone knew, she was doomed.

* * *

 **YOU HAVE FAILED, TARA! BURN! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

 **Oh wow, Tara knows dark spells. Spooky.**

 **Dreams are fun to write. Even nightmares.**

 **I just love fluff. ^ ^**

 **Well, that's it for today, folks! Cya tomorrow guys!**

 **~FFF**


	16. True Colors

**This story now has OVER 100 REVIEWS! COOKIES FOR EVERYONE! (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) *throws confetti and streamers while cheering***

 **Welcome to the chapter you've all been waiting for! The famous Tara-gets-it chapter! Well, I mean, it's not like they tear off her head or anything, but... well, just read it.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **SilverKunochi1212: Your short story made me laugh. :D Now I'm think of Ming and Gin as best friends... ha. Yeah, they'll definitely be friends. :)**

 **Angel: Oh gosh, sorry Lloyd and Morro. I'll have a talk with Angel's inner fangirl immediately. (see reivew reply under this one) Also, I'd totally do that except that Morro's a ghost, so the knife would go through him and hit Lloyd anyway. Cough.** **And that wouldn't end well.** **Now I really wanna write that... hmm. I could give Lloyd a dream where that happens. And yes, they would make awesome roommates. I think Kai would get jealous, though. (Kai: Lloyd is MY best friend!)**

 **Angel's inner fangirl: Okay, okay, I promise something bad will happen to Tara, just put the knife away and no one will get hurt...**

 **Breana: Sure! Feel free to kill her anytime you want! Chainsaws are available to your right. ^ ^**

 **BlackRoseDragon: Don't worry, I'm sure Lloyd enjoys hugs from Midna. And I bet Morro liked those cookies... Hey Midna! Look! An update!**

 **Kairocksrainbow: Candy! Wheee! Oh well. I'm sure I can do something with him... maybe...**

 **shadow ninja: Here ya go! One shotgun!**

 **Bob: Thanks for the support! ^ ^ Cookies would be greatly appreciated.**

 **Also, if anyone's wondering, Sais are those little dagger things with three prongs. Look up "obsidian sais".**

 **It is now time to read... the CHAPTER**

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Chapter 15

Tara closed her satchel and gave her weapons one last check. Knives, check. Sais, check. Shurikens, check. Boot knife, check. Extra knives, check. Backup venom-covered knife concealed in ring, check. She was ready. Tara grabbed her dagger from its place on her belt and twirled it expertly in her hand before straightening up and starting across the cave by the light of a small flashlight in her free hand. She had already knocked out the sentry, Cole, by giving him a drugged cupcake obtained from that annoying food machine... Teknee? It didn't matter. Everyone else was asleep. It was the perfect opportunity. And yet... Tara paused as she neared the sleeping ghost and Ninja. It didn't feel right, not right at all. These two were her fr- no. They weren't her friends. They were her victims, all of them. Except... except Ming. Tara looked over at the young girl, who was sleeping soundly on her bedroll. Ming was the only only Tara had allowed herself to befriend, for she the only one she didn't have to kill. She was innocent. She would be heartbroken when her friends vanished, one by one...

"Yo, crazy lady, why do you have that knife? You don't have anything to cut up." Tara nearly jumped out of her skin as the slightly mechanical voice. T.E.C.M.I. lit up, a confused emoticon showing on her bright green screen.

"Oh, this?" Tara held up the knife innocently, mind whirling to find an acceptable lie. "I'm just going to... sharpen them." That thing was on?! She must've forgotten to turn it off after getting the cupcake for Cole. Tara quickly walked towards a sharp boulder by the edge of the cave and began to strike the edge of her knife against it sharply. Tara clenched her teeth. She was running out of time. Cole would wake soon, and others would get up soon after. She had to do something! Flee? Kill half of them in her sleep? Once she revealed herself she could stop all this accursed lying, but her cover would be blown. Oh, how she wished she could've grown up like a normal girl... her thoughts broke off when she heard a yawn. She spun around to see Ming sitting up and stretching her arms above her head, blinking her dark brown eyes tiredly. Ming then turned to T.E.C.M.I., who was glowing in the center of the cave, and began a pleasant conversation with her. Tara felt another pang of sadness at the thought of hurting the young girl. No one should have to go through something like this at such a young age. But, she reminded herself, she had. And now, her only chance of having a normal life was to complete this mission. So, she would do it, hurting poor Ming or not. Tara gripped her knife tighter and once again approaching Lloyd and Morro. But, like before, she stopped. It was... possible that they hadn't told each other, right? She MIGHT still be safe. And if they did, she could escape into the tunnels, just far enough to lose them, then stalking them through the caves until she got the perfect chance to strike... yes, yes that was a much better plan than trying to get them now. And besides, she had promised herself that she would get Indigo first, hadn't she? Tara smiled and sheathed her knife. By her knife, at least, no blood would be shed today.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Morro's plan was quite simple, actually. Lloyd and Morro would wake up the next day and continue life as if the whole lying-and-nightmares thing had never happened. Then, as they travelled that day, Indigo would annoy the heck out of Tara. That night, Lloyd would appoint Indigo as rockslide sentry, but she would pretend to fall asleep, as well as Lloyd and Morro nearby. Tara would hopefully take the bait and try to kill Indigo, but the three would wake everyone up, exposing her. They would then demand to know why she was trying to kill them, and she would hopefully tell them. They could then kick her out of the team and continue to the Cursed Realm without worrying that a nut job would kill them in their sleep. After they all agreed to the plan, they went to sleep again and woke up that morning with the others, playing their parts well. Until about noon, as they were walking through a large chamber filled with lava...

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

The travellers were walking slowly across a narrow stone bridge in a huge chamber that was lit up by the lava below them. They were trying to cross as quickly as they could to the smaller, safer chamber on the other side without knocking anyone into the lava. As they walked, they suddenly heard a shout.

"Oi! You! Could you give me a hand here?" the adventurers looked around, confused, for a moment before Kai yelled,

"There!" and pointed to a small figure about 100 yards away, hanging from a ledge above the lava with one hand.

"What the- WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP THERE?!" Jay yelled in shock.

"I'll explain in a moment, just help me get down!" the figure called back, trying to get a better grip on the ledge with their free hand. Lloyd leaped off the bridge and summoned his elemental dragon, flying over to the ledge.

"Why didn't we just do that?" Lloyd heard Kai mutter from behind him. As he got closer, Lloyd saw that the figure was a small girl, quite a bit shorter than him, with long dark hair that appeared to have a colored streak in it. He couldn't tell the exact color, though, because of the red light radiating from the lava below. Swooping as close as he dared, he snatched the girl off the cliff and onto his dragon. He flew back to the bridge and dispelled his dragon, catching the girl and setting her on the bridge.

"That was FUN! I thought I was done for there!" she exclaimed before turning to Lloyd. "Thanks for sav- wow. You're cute."

"Uh... thanks?" Lloyd was taken aback for a moment by the compliment. "Who are you? And what were you doing up there?"

"Name's Jessica. Jessica Danger." Jessica stuck her hand out and Lloyd hesitantly shook it. "I'm a bit of a daredevil. I don't know if you noticed." she grinned.

"You? A daredevil? But you're so small!" Jay exclaimed. Nya slapped him lightly. "Ow!"

"Being small can be quite useful." Jessica proclaimed, folding her arms. "I can fit through small spaces and do flawless flips in midair. What are you guys doing here?"

"We're looking for a portal." Nya replied.

"Really?" Jessica shook her dark-brown hair out of her face. "I saw one of those. It was over that way," Jessica gestured vaguely.

"You've seen it?" Lloyd's face lit up. "Where? Can you take us to it?"

"You're cute when you're excited." Jessica remarked before replying. "I can try! I don't remember exactly where it is, but that's better than nothing, right?"

"Right." Zane agreed.

"By the way, who are you guys?" Jessica asked. She started talking again, however, before they got a chance to reply. "Never mine, we can do introductions on the way. Come on!" She skipped off, leaving the confused adventurers behind. After a moment, Cole shrugged and they followed her.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

This, Tara thought as she crouched stealthily in the darkness, was too easy. After the daredevil girl had led them through the tunnels for hours on end, Lloyd had finally called them to a halt and they had made camp in a large cavern. Lloyd had appointed Indigo as lookout, but she had fallen asleep not long after the others did, the lazy little fool. Tara could stab her easily in her sleep and drag the body away, disposing of it in a lake or something. They would never suspect her. The others would simply think that the idiotic girl had wandered off and gotten lost, maybe fallen off a cliff or something. Tara chuckled in the silence. For once, this job was enjoyable. Tara knelt next to the snoring elemental master and unsheathed her dagger, using her miniature flashlight to find the girl's heart. As she gripped the knife's handle tightly with both hands, she almost thought she saw Indigo stiffen. However, she shook it off and raised the dagger, before plunging it towards Indigo's heart. Tara almost dropped the dagger, though, when Indigo's eyes flew open and she rolled out of the way of the knife, yelling,

"Now!" Tara gasped as she was bathed in bright light, blinding her. It was a trick, a trap! "She tried to kill me!" she vaguely heard Indigo yell as she blinked rapidly, trying to adjust her eyes to the light. As she did, she saw red on the blade of her knife. Blood. She had actually hit her? It didn't matter. what she needed was an escape plan... jumping to her feet, Tara dashed across the cave, towards Ming, who was staring at her in silent shock. Before the younger girl could react, Tara had an arm around her shoulders and the dull edge of her knife pressed against her neck. Lightly. So she wouldn't accidentally cut her.

"Don't move." Tara hissed. "Or I'll kill her." Ming let out a scared squeak as the others froze. Tara's mind raced. She couldn't kill Ming, not in a million years. She'd just have to hope that the others didn't see through her lie. "I-I'm taking her with me." Tara continued, trying not to stutter but failing. "Don't try to stop me, or it'll be worse for her." Tara pulled the knife away from Ming's neck, not wanting to cut her, and dragged her off into a random tunnel. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you." Tara whispered, trying to console her panicked friend.

"Why are you doing this then?!" Ming whispered back, stumbling in the darkness.

"It's..." Tara sighed. "It's hard to explain. Come on."

"No. Tell me." Ming's voice was firmer now and she dug her heels into the floor, refusing to move. Tara groaned.

"Okay, I'll tell you, but only after we get farther away from the Ninja. Now _come on_!" Ming nodded and started running again, the two girls vanishing into the darkness of the mountain.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"You said - ow - that I would be - ow - perfectly safe, you said that you - ow - would catch her before she - ow! Stop squeezing so tight!" Indigo shied away from Morro, who was wrapping in bandages the long gash on her arm that she got when she rolled away from Tara. "I can't feel my hand!"

"That's actually Zane's fault." Morro replied, trying to work around her squirming. Zane had chilled her arm slightly a few minutes ago to help dull the pain from the wound and keep it from bleeding so much. "Hold still!" Morro grabbed her shoulder with one hand in an attempt to hold her in place.

"Ow!" she complained again, continuing to squirm.

"Lloyd, come help me!" Morro called across the cave. Lloyd walked over with a grin and crouched down next to them, grabbing Indigo's arm and holding it still as Morro continued to wrap it. Indigo sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

"I told you it wasn't fun being bait."

"I'm not arguing." Morro replied without looking up from her arm.

"What do we do now?" Kai asked, walking over with his sword in his hand. He hadn't put it down since Tara revealed herself. "That lunatic is loose somewhere in the mountain and she has Ming!"

"Yeah... the plan didn't work exactly as we thought it would..." Lloyd sighed. "I don't know what we should do. Tara has the upper hand. If we just ignore her, she might sneak into our camp and kill us in our sleep, like she tried to do with Indigo. If we go after her, she'll kill Ming!" he groaned, running his free hand through his hair. "That plan sure backfired on us."

"What if we just wait here?" Jessica spoke up. "Maybe she'll take it as a sign of surrender and come back. Then we'll trick her into giving us Ming and lock the nutjob up." Lloyd pondered the idea for a moment before saying,

"It's the best plan we've got right now. Let's give it a shot." Lloyd smiled at Jessica, who giggled. "Alright everyone, we're going to lay low here until Tara returns. Bring most of your weapons over here." he walked to a spot near the entrance of one of the tunnels. "Keep one small weapon, though, in case she attacks. When she comes back," Lloyd turned to the dark tunnel that Tara and Ming had vanished into. "We'll be ready."

* * *

 **DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUN! OH THE CLIFFHANGERS! Hmm, Indigo is a bit immature. But Jessica is full of great ideas! :D**

 **Yay, a super long chapter! Well, pretty long, anyway.**

 **So, yeah. That was intense. Wow, Tara actually has a heart!**

 **Drugged cupcake, Tara? Really?  
**

 **Tara: Hey Cole, look! I got you a cupcake!  
**

 **Cole: Wow, thanks Tara! *eats it* Mmm, yummzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz**

 **Tara: That was really easy.**

 **Oh, Windy, I made Jessica a daredevil because of her name. Jessica Danger. Just makes my mind scream "DAREDEVIL!".**

 **DISCLAIMER: I'm not a doctor. I have no idea if chilling a wound will make it bleed less or not. So don't pay any attention to that.**

 **I won't be on the computer any more today. I think. I'm pretty sure. So I likely won't see any chapter ideas in reviews. Sorry.**

 **Okay, I hope you liked it! Ciao!**

 **~FFF**


	17. A Friendship Rekindled

**Hi everyone! Today's chapter is a bit shorter than usual because my poor hands wanted a break from all that writing. And by the way, my life is pretty busy right now, since I have school and siblings to watch and cats to attract and a game to make and church and AHG (look it up) and random other stuff so... I hope I will still be getting a chapter out every day. Oh, and NaNoWriMo starts in exactly a month. So yeah.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **iluvninjagothenextstepgirl: You'll just have to see. ;)**

 **Angel: This is the second time you've died this week... gee, I hope you're okay. Kai grumbles and walks off to throw things at the walls. Oooooookay. I'll tell them that.**

 **Kairocksrainbow: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! YOU KILLED ME! *chokes and falls to the ground unmoving and ghost comes out of me* great... now i have to write this thing as a ghost. oh, i didn't like the mini story. don't know if you noticed. yaoi is like poison to me. even as a ghost1 8floats around8 hey, this might actually be fun... welp, thanks for the candy, but please don't poison me again.**

 **bob; that's okay1 8eats cookies8**

 **just so everyone knows, i'm a ghost now. kairocksrainbow killed me. i can no longer capitalize anything. so 1 means exclamation mark and 8 means astrix. oh well. fortunately lloyd is here to type in the chapter for me1 hi lloyd1**

 **Hi! Lloyd here. I will be typing things in for FFF until she figures out how to turn into a human again. So the Author's Notes will be written by me for a little while. I wonder why she isn't letting me read the chapter until I type it in...**

* * *

Chapter 16

Lloyd lay awake on his bedroll in the middle of the night, head resting on his hands, as he recalled the events of the previous day. First, he was woken up in the early hours of the morning by a nightmare about one of his best friends, and stayed up for hours before finally getting a small amount of sleep. Then, at midday, he had met Jessica, who had instantly developed a crush on him. Not long after that, Tara had attacked Indigo and wounded her fighting arm, making her almost useless in a fight. Tara had then taken Ming hostage and fled, threatening to kill her if they attempted a rescue. After making a quick plan, the ninja and co. had appointed Jay and Nya (neither one complaining about the arrangement) as guards and tried to get some sleep. Unfortunately, Lloyd was wide awake, and he was unlikely to get any sleep anytime soon. Turning to his side, Lloyd saw that even Morro and Indigo were fast asleep, the latter with her wounded arm resting on a pillow. Lloyd was preparing for a long and boring night when a dull thud from the other side of the cave caught his attention. He sat up, peering into the darkness but seeing nothing. A moment later, a fireball materialized in the darkness and was flung forward, hitting the wall and making the _thud_ sound again. Kai. Lloyd crawled off his bedroll and stood up, walking over to the fire ninja.

"I see I'm not the only one having trouble sleeping." Kai looked up as Lloyd sat down next to him.

"Yeah... all this drama just makes me want to burn something up." Kai threw another fireball at the wall. "That always helps."

"Alright, well, just be careful you don't hit them." Lloyd gestured to Jay and Nya, who were kissing happily on the other side of the cave. Kai made an exaggerated grossed-out face.

"I might." He grinned to show he was joking and Lloyd laughed. After his laughter died down, Kai's face took on a serious expression and he stared at the fire in his hands. "Lloyd... am I still your best friend?"

"Of course you are!" Lloyd replied without hesitating. "You're like my brother! Why would you even ask that?"

"Well... it's just that you've been spending so much time with Morro, and ignoring us, and..." Kai's voice grew angry as he said the ghost's name. "Well, I hate him. I hate him for what he did to you, to all of us. I hate him for being a better friend for you than me. I hate him because, if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be on this stupid journey in the first place! Ugh!" Kai created a massive fireball and threw it against the wall, creating a massive boom that echoed throughout the caves. Jay and Nya looked up in surprise before continuing to kiss. Kai stared at his hands and sighed. "I'm sorry." Lloyd stayed quiet. Now that Kai had brought it up, he felt guilty about neglecting his other friends to spend more time with Morro.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be ignoring you like I am. And I understand why you hate him. I probably would too, but I sorta know how he feels." Lloyd said after a moment. "When I was younger, and I lived at Darkley's ***** , no one was there for me. The other kids there were sometimes nice to me, but I didn't have any real friends. Then, when I got out, I was evil. I released the serpentine, remember?"

"Do I ever." Kai muttered in response.

"Yeah. But then Sensei and you guys befriended me, and I became a good guy, a ninja. Morro was living on the streets, with no one to look out for him except himself. That's why I befriended him. Remember how Sensei told us once that the best way to defeat your enemy was to make him your friend? Well, that's what I'm doing for Morro. Becoming his friend." Kai hesitated for a few moments before nodding.

"You're... right. I should give him a chance." Lloyd smiled and hugged his brother abruptly. Kai grinned hugged him back. After a few minutes, Kai spoke up. "But, if you were me you'd know how I feel." Lloyd raised an eyebrow at the red ninja's joking tone.

"Oh yeah? Why?"

"Cause once he hit me with a windmill."

"Yeah..." Lloyd nodded. "I remember that."

"And slammed me into the ground."

"Yeah."

"And left me in the middle of the ocean to get eaten by strangleweed."

"Yeah."

"And tried to throw me off a roof in clou-"

"Okay, okay, I get it! Hey!" Lloyd exclaimed as Kai ruffled his hair. "Don't make the green ninja angry!" Lloyd playfully knocked Kai onto his side with a harmless energy blast. Kai sat back up and pushed Lloyd onto the ground.

"Don't you mean, "don't make the RED ninja angry"?"

"No..." Lloyd flipped Kai over and pinned him to the ground. "Because the red ninja is no match for the green ninja!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Well the red ninja accepts your challenge!" Kai, laughing, shoved Lloyd away and jumped to his feet. "Catch me if you can!"

"You're on!" Lloyd scrambled to his feet with a grin and ran after Kai, who took off into a tunnel with a shout. Their argument forgotten, the two friends chased each other through the caves for hours before they collapsed in exhaustion atop a large rock, soon succumbing to blissful slumber.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"I'm sooooooooo tired..." Kai yawned loudly as the adventurers ate breakfast the next morning. "I was up half the night being chased by Lloyd."

"And why was Lloyd chasing you?" Nya asked suspiciously.

"Because he stole my ninja hood!" Lloyd defended himself, pointing to the scrap of green fabric that stuck out of Kai's pocket. The fire ninja quickly stuck it back into his pocket with sheepish grin. "And," Lloyd continued. "he still won't give it back!"

"I can remedy that." Cole, who was sitting next to Kai, deftly reached into the red ninja's pocket and yanked out the hood, tossing it to Lloyd with a grin. "Here ya go, buddy!" Kai rolled his eyes and said with a fiendish smile,

"Well, I guess I'll just have to steal it again." eliciting a groan from Lloyd and laughter from the other ninja nearby. Just then, Zane ran over with a worried look on his robotic face.

"Has anyone seen Kayson? I have searched the entire area but cannot find him anywhere!" he asked. The other travellers looked at each other before replying, that no, they hadn't. Lloyd frowned. Where could Kayson have gone? Their party was shrinking slowly, ominously. How long would it be before the others vanished as well?

 ***Darkley's Boarding School for Bad Boys**

* * *

 **Wow. That was weird, writing about myself in third person. It was actually pretty accurate, though. I remember that night. I was tired for DAYS after that. Kai says he remembers it too, though he says that I stole HIS ninja hood, not the other way around. Don't believe him though. Oh, um, FFF wants me to ask you guys if anyone knows how to turn a Yaoi-poisoned ghost back into a human. I don't know how she was poisoned, but I'm not sure I want to find out. Agh, oh no, Kai's over there on his laptop and he appears to be choking to death... I gotta go.**

 **hi, it's fff again. just wanted to let you all know that originally i was going to write about more morro and lloyd fluff, but i decided that kai needed some love. -smiley face- also, ha, i still managed a cliffhanger. nyahaha. anyway, i gotta go help revive kai. cya later guys.**

 **-fff**


	18. A Troubling Past

**And I'm BACK, everyone! I'M NO LONGER A GHOST! WOOHOO! Special thanks to Kairocksrainbow for giving me a magic necklace to change me back. Oh, and, for anyone who's interested, I did succeed in reviving Kai, so he's fine. Well, he's in the hospital on recovery, but other than that he's fine.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **SilverKunochi1212: I know. Kai's a bit... um... hotheaded. Doesn't think things through. (Kai: WHAT?! I AM NOT A HOTHEAD!)**

 **iluvninjagothenextstepgirl: I am so evil, aren't I, not telling you what happened to them? Hee hee. Well, here's an update on them.**

 **Angel: I hope Ninjago is never canceled. Ever. As for My Little Pony... eh, it used to be better. And Morro, I wouldn't suggest getting near her. Her inner fangirl might take over again! *silently screams* Oh, and, sorry, no Morro and Lloyd in this chapter. I'm working on it. I would draw fanart of that except that I can't draw minifigures... well, not very well. I drew my P.I.X.A.L. minifigure once. It's not tooooooooo baaaaaaaad... You? Okay.**

 **Kairocksrainbow: Kayson.. is... DEAD! Or not. I mean, who knows? *chuckles evilly* I WISH I had a true love's kiss... but the necklace worked. ^ ^ I forgive you. I guess yaoi is poison to inhabitants of Ninjago. Be sure to remember that.**

 **BlackRoseDragon: So Midna has a crush on Lloyd, eh? Or Morro. Eeeheehee.**

 **Bob: You have COOKIE RAIN POWERS?! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?! *squeals and eats cookies***

 **Windy: Yay, you're back! Don't worry, I can never get too many reviews. ^ ^ Tara will get what's coming to her, just you wait. Lloyd wants to know why you called him a tiger. I'm glad you like Jessica. ;D I will most certainly pray for your younger sister. I have lots of siblings and I would be heartbroken if I lost any of them.**

 **Just a friendly reminder to everyone, don't write any yaoi or yuri and your reviews, or I'll be poisoned again, as well as any other ninja who read it, and become a ghost. And if I'm a ghost I can't type in my fanfiction. So yeah.**

 **MadilynJC, I hope you like Tara's backstory. :)**

 **And now, the chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 17

Tara slipped silently through the mountain's passages, her tiny flashlight illuminating the passage ahead as Ming followed behind. Tara was doing her best to memorize the passages they took as they travelled through them so she could find her way back to the Ninja's camp. It was rather difficult to do so, however, when Ming interrupted her every couple of minutes to ask if they were far away enough yet. Fortunately, they soon arrived at Tara's goal, an underground lake with a small island of rock in the center. Tara helped Ming across a series of practically invisible stepping stones just underneath the water's surface and they stepped onto the island. Ming sat down on a flat rock and looked at Tara expectantly. "Now tell me everything."

"Everything?" Tara asked, sitting down on a rock opposite her.

"Everything. From the time you were born until now."

"Alright." Tara took a deep breath and began to tell Ming her tale. "I was born in a small town on a mountain in south Ninjago. My parents were a young man of wealthy descent and a peasant girl. My father was disowned by his family shortly after he married my mother, apparently they didn't like poor people." Ming frowned at this. "Anyway. My father was killed in a skulkin attack when I was about five, and my mother couldn't take care of me alone, so she entrusted me into the care of a friend of hers, by the name of Clouse. He was a very good friend to me, almost like a father." Tara smiled at the memory before continuing. "A few years after I was sent to live with him, he and I moved to a island owned by a man named Chen. Clouse began training under this man, and learned advanced fighting skills as well as dark magic. He taught these things to me, which is how I know simple spells such as influencing dreams. That island is where I spent the rest of my childhood." Tara paused to take a breath. "When I turned 18, I left to go find my mother. When I reached my home village, I was saddened to discover that she had died long ago." her's face fell for a moment. "I got over it, though, and started a small business in my home town. I was pretty successful for a couple of years. Then I met a man named Ronin." her face darkened. "I fell in love with him, and he claimed to love me back, but he was a lying, cheating, black-hearted _scoundrel_ ," she hissed. "so once he revealed his true self I attacked him and he fled. Fueled by the desire for revenge, I chased him across Ninjago, determined to put him away for his crimes. I... disposed of a few people on the way, which got the attention of a man... I've forgotten his name... who needed an assassin. He contacted me and I agreed to do his dirty work for him. I did my job well and he recommended me to some of his friends. That was how my career as an assassin started." she sighed, looking at the ground. "I never really wanted it to happen, it just did. I now want to go back to my home village and forget my entire past, but they fear me there because of my reputation as a killer." Tara looked up and met Ming's eyes. "This was to be my last mission, though."

"Why?" Ming asked, as Tara was silent for a few moments.

"My employer has obtained a magical item called the Changeling Stone. It can change the user's form into anything by harnessing their mental energy. He promised to give it to me if I kill every elemental master on this mission and absorbed their powers into this." Tara dug through the bag at her waist for a moment before pulling out a gently shimmering crystal. "Apparently if it touches their blood then their powers will be absorbed into it. When I am finished, I am to bring the crystal back to my employer."

"But..." Ming frowned. "If it just has to touch their blood, why kill them? Why not just sock them in the face or something?" Tara shrugged in response.

"My employer apparently really hates the ninja." The girls sat in silence for a moment before Ming spoke up.

"Your past is really messed up."

"I know, right?" Tara replied with a grin. "I have the craziest backstory of anyone I know."

"Who are you working for, by the way?" Ming asked, referring to the mysterious person who wanted the Ninja dead. Tara shook her head.

"I don't know. I've never seen him. We've always contacted each other over the phone, so all I know about him is that he has a horrible raspy voice." Tara grimaced at the thought of it. Ming was about to reply when they heard a tiny splash from the lake. Exchanging a glance with Ming, Tara clicked on her flashlight and shined it over the water and the shore, but seeing only the surface of the lake, which was rippling slightly.

"That's creepy." Ming said uneasy, staring at the water.

"I don't like this..." Tara muttered. "I feel like we're being watched." She shuddered and stood up, moving closer to the center of the island. "Come on, we're spending the night here."

"I think it's actually late morning, but whatever..." Ming murmured, looking at her watch before following Tara to the center of the small platform and leaned against a rock. Tara, who was leaning against the same rock, closed her eyes and sighed. One thing was for sure, there was no way she could kill the Ninja now. She had too strong a connection with them. Except Indigo. She could kill _her_ without the risk of a guilty conscience. Tara fantasized about killing the insufferable girl until she could no longer keep her eyes open and fell asleep.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Kayson hid behind a boulder, silently contemplating how to rescue Ming. The two girls had moved to the center of the island almost an hour ago, and might be asleep, but he couldn't take any chances or Ming might be hurt. Kayson knew that Lloyd would be mad at him for straying from the plan, but he was sick and tired of waiting around doing nothing. He needed to do something _now_ , before they were all stabbed to death in their sleep. But there didn't appear to be any way to the island other than swimming, and he certainly couldn't do that. Tara had almost caught him when he accidently knocked a pebble into the water, swimming would create enough noise that he would certainly be caught. No, he'd have to report back and get someone to help him. But, who was crazy enough to try to cross the lake without touching the water? It didn't take long, however, for Kayson to deduce the obvious answer: Jessica Danger.

* * *

 **Ta da! Tara's awesome backstory! You'll notice I put both Ronin and Clouse in there. I like Clouse, he's funny. ^ ^**

 **Gee, I wonder who Tara's mystery employer is...?**

 **I bet Jessica and Kayson will make the ultimate team. :D**

 **Well, this is FirstFandomFangirl, signing out!  
**

 **~FFF**


	19. Forgiveness

**Hey everyone! How's your weekend going? Just so everyone knows, you all can email me at saffythehedgehog(a)gmail . com (remove the spaces and replace the (a) with an "at" symbol and copy and paste into an email)!**

 **Review replies:**

 **MadilynJC: Yay! I'm so glad you liked it! I had fun writing it. ^ ^**

 **Angel: Well... what this chapter has MIGHT be classified as fluff, but I don't know. Also, sadly, Lloyd having a nightmare like that doesn't have any connection with the plot, so... no chapter like that. In this. I'm planning on sometime releasing a series of one-shots that take place during this story but didn't move the plot along. So, like, Lloyd having a random nightmare, Kai and Jay having a water balloon fight, things like that. Though, not everything I've written so far has direct correlation to the story, like, Jay's slime deer dream or the Pixane conversation way back in chapter... 5? 6? I don't remember. Whatever. At least the Pixane conversation was foreshadowing for a future fanfiction... I'm being random again. Oh well. Sometime I'll write that nightmare thing.**

 **Windy: No worries! I have no intentions of paring them. Besides, Kayson doesn't want to be paired with anyone either. Jessica will only be a fangirl for Lloyd. I'm going to give Lloyd and Jessica a relationship like Sonic and Amy in the Sonic franchise. Do you know about that? Well, Amy loves Sonic and chases him around declaring her love for him, and he likes her as a friend, but nothing more. I'd make a romance between them but I already have my hands full trying to do write a romance for Morro and Indigo and I really don't have any idea how... Ahem. Mainly Jessica will just annoy Kayson. Lloyd wants to know why everyone loves him. I told him because he's cute. ^ ^ Now I want a dog named Ronin... xD When I grow up I want to get five kittens and name them Kai, Jay, Cole, Zane, and Lloyd. And a dog named Ronin. MY AWESOME NINJAGO FAMILYYYYYYY- Yeah, I saw that prayer. :) Hey, I talk to myself. And my plushes. And the pictures on my walls. And my cats. And invisible ninjago people. But I always stop before anyone else shows up or I'll end up in an insane asylum. And then I wouldn't be able to write my fanfiction! :O Gack.**

 **BlackRoseDragon: Uh, Midna, don't kiss Lloyd around Jessica. She'll get mad. And I'm glad you like Indigo. Did you mean "mature" or "immature"? The wording made it sound like you meant immature. Indigo's busy insisting that she doesn't have a crush on Morro. I don't believe her haha.**

 **Alright, here's the chapter! I hope I get some emails from people who like my story. ^ ^**

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Chapter 18

"Kaaaaaaaai! Give it back!" Morro opened one eye as a shout from Lloyd broke him out of his sleep. Blinking to adjust his eyes to the dim light, Morro sat up to see Lloyd chasing Kai, who was holding the hood of Lloyd's green gi, around the cave. Kai turned around and, running backwards, waved the hood in Lloyd's face, yanking it back when Lloyd tried to grab it.

"What's wrong, Green Ninja? Can't keep up?" Kai taunted him good-naturedly. Morro rolled his eyes and sent a gust of wind at the cocky fire ninja, pushing him off balance and causing him to stumble to the ground. Lloyd grinned and snatched the mask away in triumph. "That's cheating!" Kai yelled across the cave at Morro.

"No it isn't." Lloyd countered as Morro stood up and walked across the cave to join them. "You almost set me on fire when you stole my mask!"

"That was an accident!" Kai defended himself. "And besides, I missed, didn't I?"

"Almost." Lloyd deadpanned. It was only then that Morro noticed that Lloyd's light blond hair was singed. Kai noticed this at the same time and let out a snort of laughter. Lloyd tried to look offended, but failed and burst into laughter along with Kai. Even Morro chuckled at the antics of the two ninja. After their laughter died down, there was an awkward silence until Kai spoke up.

"I suppose now is a good a time as any to apologize to you, Morro." He turned to the ghost boy with a genuine look of apology on his face. "I've been really suspicious and unkind to you since we started on this journey. I'm sorry for that. I should be trusting Lloyd's judgement. If he trusts you, then I will too." Kai smiled and Morro returned it.

"I'm sorry too." Morro said to Kai, his face growing serious. "I know you must have hated me for the things I did to you and the other ninja, especially Lloyd. You can never blame me more than I blame myself. But I hope someday you all can forgive me."

"I forgive you now." Kai said with a grin. "it is to the glory of a man to overlook an offense." he quoted.

"Who said that?" Morro asked, referring to the quote.

"Solomon. It's from the Bible." Lloyd answered with a smile. "My Mom used to say it whenever I argued with the other ninja."

"Ah." Morro nodded. "Well, thank you for forgiving me, Kai. But I don't think what I did was a mere offense.

"It was. A big one, but still an offense." Kai answered. Morro nodded again and the three were silent for a few moments. "Well, bye!" Kai snatched the green ninja hood away from Lloyd, and, before he or Morro could react, the fire ninja had dashed off.

"KAI YOU ROTTEN LITTLE SNEAK!" Lloyd shouted as he took off after him. Morro laughed and followed, finally able to enjoy a simple game with his friends.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"I don't like this..." Jessica muttered as she followed Kayson through the dark tunnels. "You're going to get Lloyd mad at me!"

"Would you pipe down?" Kayson shushed her and kept walking. "Not everything in life revolves around your crush!" Jessica sighed.

"He's not just my crush. We're meant to be! I can feel it in my heart!" Jessica clasped her hands together and did a pirouette. "If we get caught, I'm going to say you made me do it."

"Fair enough. Now be quiet. We're almost there." Kayson dimmed his flashlight and snuck into the large cave. Lowering his voice, he whispered to Jessica, "You need to get to the island in the center of that lake without touching the water. Can you do that?" Jessica swept her hand downwards in a no-problem gesture.

"Easy peasy. Gimme that." Jessica took the flashlight from him and pointed it at the walls and ceiling, muttering to herself slightly. After a couple minutes, she handed the flashlight back to Kayson. "Keep the beam on me so I can see." she instructed before heading towards the nearest wall. Almost like a monkey in a tree, she nimbly scaled said wall within seconds, only slipping once. Once at the top, she turned to a stalactite hanging from the ceiling and, after regaining her balance, she jumped towards it, grabbing it and hugging it with her knees to hold on. After a moment, she jumped to the next, and the next, and the next, until she was directly over the island. She then pulled some sort of gadget off of the belt at her waist and secured it the stalactite she was hanging from. She tugged on it to make sure it was secure before lowering herself down on a rope connected to the gadget. After jumping the last couple of feet, she hissed across the water, "They're asleep! What should I do now?"

"Take Ming and swim back! Don't wake up Tara!" Kayson replied.

"That's gonna be hard," Jessica whispered loudly. "because they're right next to each other."

"Okay..." Kayson frowned. How would they get Ming away from her captor? "Well, try-" he was interrupted by a shriek from Jessica.

"Tara's waking up! And I left my axe back in camp!" the daredevil girl squealed. "Tell Lloyd I love him!" Kayson rolled his eyes as he ran out of the cave. He couldn't help her, he was too far away. Her only chance was to get the ninja quickly enough...

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Tara blinked as she sat up, half-wondering if she was still asleep and there wasn't actually a hyperventilating girl on her small island.

"Please don't kill me!" Jessica squeaked.

"...huh...?" Ming mumbled, just waking up. Tara sighed and stood up from where she had been sleeping next to Ming.

"How did you get here without waking us up?" she asked Jessica, who was staring at her with wide eyes. Wordlessly, she pointed to a rope just above their heads. Closer inspection revealed that it was connected to a stalactite above them. "Ah. I'm not going to kill you," Tara continued pleasantly. "but I am going to hold you hostage, so you'll have to stay on this island with us." Jessica visibly relaxed.

"Oh, that's good. I'd hate to be murdered by a crazy assassin right after I'd met my true love." she sighed dreamily, ignoring Tara's offended stare at being called a crazy assassin.

"You mean... Lloyd?" Ming asked. "But you've only just met him."

"True love does not wait!" Jessica proclaimed. "I could tell the moment I saw him that he was the one for me!" Tara and Ming exchanged glances.

"...right." Tara said after a moment. "Whatever. Well, get comfortable, because we're going to spend a few more hours on this rock."

"Okay!" Jessica promptly flopped over on the rock, either asleep or pretending to be. Tara chuckled and sat down back against her rock, soon falling into a deep sleep.

* * *

 **That Bible verse that Kai quotes was Proverbs 19:11. I'm PRETTY sure that was Solomon, since he wrote most of the Proverbs, but I'm not EXACTLY sure. :/**

 **Silly Kai. If you want to be Lloyd's best friend, you shouldn't almost set him on fire!**

 **Jessica is a goof. She's fun to write, though. ^ ^**

 **And now, a random conversation between characters.**

 **Lloyd: Hi everyone!**

 **Cole, Jay, and Zane: Hi Lloyd!**

 **Lloyd: Kai almost set my hair on fire.**

 **Kai: It was an accident!**

 **Jessica: HOW DARE YOU ALMOST SET MY TRUE LOVE ON FIRE!? I WILL KILL YOU! *attacks Kai with axe***

 **Kai: YIKES! *runs away***

 **Jessica: FEEL MY UNBRIDLED RAGE!**

 **Morro: ...maybe we should leave before she kills someone.**

 **Indigo: Good idea.**

 ***Morro and Indigo walk away***

 **Midna: Hi! I have better graphics than you!  
**

 **Jay: What?! No one can have better graphics than me!**

 **Nya: Huh?**

 **Link: ...**

 **Don't ask why characters from Legend of Zelda showed up. They broke through the fourth wall.**

 **And... I think that's it for today. Bye y'all!**

 **~FFF**


	20. An Actually Successful Rescue

**Hey everyone! It's Lloyd again. FFF wanted to sleep in because she's sick. Poor her. I hate being sick, but, who doesn't? Anyway, I think she also wanted me to do this because apparently everyone loves me, but I'm not sure about that... she already did the review replies earlier, so I'll just copy/paste them here.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **Angel: Of course it makes sense! You probably have a squish on him. A squish is a platonic crush. ^ ^ All the OCs are glaring at you, and yes, I'd say shoving a knife down someone's throat is too violent. XD You're going to scare poor Lloyd. I told Jessica that, but I don't think she heard me because she's too busy fangirling over Lloyd. Oops. And this is going to be my newest catchphrase, "for crying out Lloyd". I mix up words with Ninjago stuff all the time. Like, the other day my brother was playing a Zelda game and fighting the final boss and I said "Lloyd" instead of "Link" and "Garmadon" instead of "Ganon". Whoopsie.**

 **Bob: Thanks! ^ ^ I love cookies. And since you all like Lloyd doing the A/Ns so much I just tricked him into doing it. Eeeheeheeheehee... I'm glad you liked the Bible verse. :)**

 **Guest: Yep. Lloyd's in trouble. Just wait until they rescue her.**

 **TessaGarmadon: Wow, another Garmadon! Any member of the Garmadon family is a friend of mine. ^ ^ I'm so glad you like my story so much. :D**

 **Windy: I'm glad you like how I'm writing her. ^ ^ I know. I'll throw some more random verses here and there. I know that particular verse so well because my Mom says it a lot. xD School stinks. I wish I really were a robot so I could just program it into me. I hope you get a chance to read this chapter today. :) I know how that feels. My parents are very protective of me as well. Tell your parents that I come from a strong Christian family and am one myself. Maybe that will help. ;)**

 **Wait a minute, it says in that review to "Bob" that FFF... tricked me into doing this?! I'll show her!**

 **Uh, this is FFF. Lloyd just dragged me out of bed and is making me type this in. I guess he read that review. Heheh. Well, I guess I'll be writing the Author's Notes then, unless I can convince him to come back...**

* * *

Chapter 19

It was early morning, about a week after they'd left, and the travellers were fast asleep, exhausted by the events of the previous couple days. They were subconsciously looking forward to a good night's (or morning's) rest, when,

"Good morning everyone!" T.E.C.M.I. boomed suddenly, waking up the inhabitants of the spacious cavern with a start. "I betcha you're all really hungry today, aren'tcha? Well you're in luck, because today's breakfast special is a delicious blue cheese salad with brownie bits and a sprinkling of paprika. It also features chunks of tofu and a scrumptious italian salad dressing!"

"Waffles." Jay declared as he sat up on his bedroll, stretching. "That is the only thing I will eat this morning."

"Whatever. Suit yourself. Anyone else interested in salad?" the female machine asked hopefully.

"Look, T.E.C.M.I., I hate to break it to you, but no one likes your food suggestions." Kai pointed out.

"That is 100% wrong! I know at least one person likes my ideas!" T.E.C.M.I. said indignantly.

"And who is that?" Cole asked, folding his arms.

"Jessica." the A.I. replied smartly. "She tried my chocolate-and-tomato hot dogs and said they were delicious. "

"Oh yeah? Jessica! Did you really eat one of T.E.C.M.I.'s suggestions?" Kai called, glancing around the cave for the daredevil. There was no answer. "Jessica?"

"Huh. I wonder where she went?" Lloyd asked as he made his way over to the smouldering campfire from the night before. "Maybe she's just still aslee-"

"Tara's got her!" All eyes turned to Kayson as he dashed, breathless, into the cave. "She and I were trying to rescue Ming, but Tara woke up at the last moment and grabbed her! We need to rescue her before she gets murdered!"

"Why were you trying to rescue Ming?" Lloyd frowned. "I told you to stay here and wait!"

"Yeah, well, I couldn't just sit around doing nothing. It's not my style." Kayson sighed. "I tried to rescue her myself, but I couldn't get to the island that they're- well, they were, anyway - holed up on without swimming, and that would get their attention, so I got Jessica to climb across the ceiling to get to the island."

"She climbed across the ceiling?!" Lloyd looked shocked. "I'm a NINJA, and even I can't do that! Anyway. What good would it do to get her on the island? Wouldn't Tara just grab her? Unless she was asleep, in which case you could probably just swim..."

"Okay, I admit that I didn't really think this through. But that's not important right now! Jessica is stuck on an island with a crazy murderer! We need to go rescue her!" Kayson yelled, frustrated with himself for getting someone else in danger.

"Right. Let's go, guys." Lloyd followed Kayson out of the cave, his friends right behind him.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Tara's eyes snapped open at the sound of footsteps echoing through the caves. Jumping to her feet, she shook Jessica and Ming awake, saying,

"Come on, girls, we need to go." Ming quickly hopped to her feet, but Jessica only blinked.

"Why? What's going on?"

"The others are coming. We need to leave. Now come on!" Jessica's eyes grew wide at Tara's statement.

"They're coming to rescue us? LLOYD! WE'RE OVER HERE! HELP!" she screamed. Tara groaned, and, scooping up Ming in her arms to save time running, jumped back across the hidden platforms and hid behind a rock, setting the surprised 14-year-old down. A few seconds later, Kayson rushed into the cave, followed by Lloyd and the others. Jessica, by this time, had climbed back up her rope and was making her way across the ceiling by jumping from stalactite to stalactite. A few moments later she shimmied down the wall and hugged Lloyd from behind with a squeal. "You saved me!" she squealed.

"Uh... what happened?" Lloyd asked, trying to escape her crushing grip. "We just walked in here."

"You scared her off and she let me go! I think she went that way." Jessica let go of Lloyd and pointed, fortunately in the wrong direction.

"Well, I'm glad you're alright." Lloyd said, which caused her to sigh dreamily. "But you should've done what I told you to."

"His idea." Jessica pointed to Kayson.

"You too." Lloyd said to him before turning back to Jessica. "Did you find anything out while she was your prisoner?"

"Well, she didn't kill me. She didn't even try. She just told me to go to sleep. And Ming looked totally mellow, more scared of me than of her." Jessica's eyes widened. "Maybe Tara put an evil spell on her!" Tara rolled her eyes from her hiding place.

"Uh... probably not. The only person I ever knew who could do black magic was Clouse, and he's in the Cursed Realm." Lloyd said. Tara gasped. Clouse was in the Cursed Realm? Maybe she could go along with the ninja and get him out! If they ever trusted her again, that is. Unfortunately, Zane had heard her gasp and turned in her direction.

"What was that?" he asked, frowning.

"What was what?" Kai turning in the same direction.

"I heard something, coming from over here..." Zane started walking towards Tara's hiding place.

"Come on!" Tara whispered to Ming, and they fled into the nearest tunnel.

"THERE!" Tara heard Indigo yell, and more footsteps echoed behind them. The two girls ducked into a small side passage and flattened themselves against the wall as the others ran past. After a few moments, Tara motioned for Ming to follow her and crept farther down the small tunnel, the smaller girl at her heels. As soon as she was sure they couldn't be heard, Tara whispered hoarsely,

"I have to go with them! I have to rescue Clouse!"

"But how? They all hate you now!" Ming replied, worry evident in her voice.

"Maybe..." Tara thought for a moment. "Maybe if I gave myself up and pleaded to let me go with them, they'd let me?"

"Likely not. They'd probably be afraid you'd stab them in their sleep again. And even if they did, they'd most likely tie you up and drag you along."

"I wouldn't blame them. After all, I did try to kill them." The two girls sat in silence, thinking.

"Well..." Ming said slowly. "You could let me go, and then just follow us in the shadows. And I could try to convince them that you're good... no, that wouldn't work. Then they'd know that I knew were you were."

"That's a good idea, though." Tara's eyes brightened, gears turning in her head. "Yes, I can just follow them. You can tell them that I let you go and left. Then when we get to the Cursed Realm I can find Clouse and we can get out together! It's perfect!" She turned to Ming, smiling. "Quick, go find them! I'll follow!" Ming smiled back and scampered off into the darkness. Tara grinned and followed the younger girl. Things were finally going her way.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Indigo stomped into camp, frustrated. Even after running in circles in the tunnels for almost an hour, and getting lost multiple times, they still hadn't managed to find that crazy assassin girl. Even worse, Jessica had spent the entire time chattering about how wonderful Lloyd was. And they had just met! It was amazing how obsessed someone could get in such a short time. She really didn't even see why Jessica liked Lloyd so much. He didn't seem to (at least romantically) like her back, and they didn't have much in common. They didn't even know much about each other. If anyone would make a good couple around here, it would probably be herself and Morro. They were good friends, and they had quite a bit in common, For example, they had both lived on the streets, and neither one of them had gotten along with the ninja when they'd first met them. And they both liked to stay up late at night. And they both liked the stars. And they both had few real friends. And they both hated Tara, though, who of them didn't? Whatever. In her opinion, at least, Morro was better than Lloyd anyway. He had cooler powers, and he was quiet and thoughtful, and he was a GHOST! How cool was that? Wait, didn't she start out by thinking about Jessica? She didn't remember. Oh well. She lost her train of thought all the time. Stupid random memory loss. At least she never forgot-

"Hey! Where are you guys?" a familiar voice shouted from a nearby tunnel.

"Ming?!" Nya jumped to her feet from where she'd been sitting by the fire. "We're over here!" A moment later, Ming ran into the room, squinting in the bright light coming from T.E.C.M.I..

"Ming!" Jay shouted. "How did you escape from Tara?"

"She let me go!" The Chinese girl replied. "Then she just... left. She didn't explain herself, she just ran off. I think she's gone."

"Well, that's a relief." Indigo said, walking over to her. "I'd hate to be almost stabbed in my sleep again." Ming's expression changed, just for a moment, but Indigo saw it. It was gone before she could figure out what it was, though. Shrugging it off, she led Ming to the fire in the center of the cave to get warm. It looked like their mission was finally back on track.

* * *

 **Hey, it's Lloyd again. FFF promised me I could have some of her cookies if I wrote this, so... I'm writing it. Still not sure why, though. What am I even supposed to be writing? Short stories?**

 **Kai: Who's the greatest ninja?**

 **Jay: Why, Lloyd, of course!**

 **Cole: Definitely.**

 **Zane: Affirmative.**

 **Lloyd: Aww, thanks guys!**

 **A short story. Ta daaaa. I'm going to go ask FFF about those cookies now...**

 **Hello! FFF again. I hope I don't confuse you all with all these transitions between Lloyd and I. Anyway. Indigo apparently has a tendency to mentally ramble. I know I do sometimes...**

 **So! Hope you liked le chapter.**

 **~FFF**


	21. Unexpected Complications

**Hey everyone! FFF here. Welcome to another lovely school week. Cough. Hope you all enjoy the story!**

 **Just so y'all know, Lloyd and the other ninja left today on a mission to do something, they didn't tell me what, so he probably won't be back until at least tomorrow. Hopefully I don't turn into a ghost again. ^ ^**

 **Review Replies:**

 **Breana: Nope, not weird at all. ^ ^ People love getting cookies.**

 **Angel: Ouch! All this screaming is hurting my ears. I told her that, and she started screaming back. Ow. The OCs forgive you for saying they should be killed by Tara.**

 **SilverKunochi1212: I'm sorry, but I have no idea. My characters continue to run off with the plot. But they should meet her within the next five chapters or so. :)**

 **The Flaming Star: Thanks for the encouragement! I'm always happy to get more reviews.**

 **Maxine Rose: I'm sorry, but I'm not currently accepting OC applications. Not only that, but your character is very similar to Kayson. If you look at the reviews from chapter one, you will see that the profiles are very similar. Also, it doesn't make sense that your character would get along with all the characters and hate all the bad guys. This is especially true with Morro, who is suspicious of everyone new, as you may have noticed, so it's rather... gary-stu-ish for him to get along perfectly well with all the good guys. So yeah. Also, please give him more original powers, fire and water are already taken. Except for those points, your character is very good. :) Please change your character a bit, and then re-apply it once I open OCs again. Thank you! Wow, you must like this a lot if you've read it five times! :D**

 **Bob: Lloyd forgives you. ^ ^ Thanks for the cookies!**

 **Kairocksrainbow: Thanks. :) Ah, sometimes people get grounded for the stupidest things. Like, the other day my Mom grounded my and my older sister from the internet because my sister burned some grilled cheese. -.- Aww, thanks for the bromance story. It's cute. :)**

 **Windy: That's great! And I'm glad you like the Lloyd A/Ns. Too bad he's on a mission for a little while. :P I like writing Jessica as a fangirl, so except to see lots of it. ^ ^ I really hope your parents let you email me. I'm so happy I was God's answer to your prayer! :D I can't wait to read your stories. If you want, I would be happy to beta-read any of your stories for you. :) How is your sister doing? My 1 year old sister is sick too. :(**

 **Here is le chapter (I am running out of things to say here).**

* * *

Chapter 20

After a hearty meal of chicken sandwiches, the ninja and co. set off once again to find the portal, Jessica leading the way. Ming was having a friendly chat with Nya, who, although she wasn't sure why, felt that something was off about the slightly-younger girl. Maybe it was that she seemed over cheerful, smiling at everything and laughing nervously. Unless she really _really_ wanted to get away from Tara, and Jessica's information seemed to point the other way, Ming was acting. Why, Nya didn't know. Not only that, but whenever the topic of Tara was brought up, Ming would force a smile and change the subject. Nya told herself that the poor girl was probably still nervous about her kidnapping and shrugged it off, but she couldn't rid herself of the feeling that something was wrong.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"I remember this place, I know I do!" Jessica declared as she and the rest of the adventurers walked through a narrow tunnel. "The portal's not far now!" she called over her shoulder at Lloyd.

"Great!" the green ninja called back, happy to finally have some progress. They had been trekking through the mountain for days, and, frankly, he was sick and tired of it. He wanted to get to the Cursed Realm already so he could see his father again. He was tired and cranky and wanted to be done with this mission. But he refused to give up. His father was at stake. But he sure wished they hadn't destroyed the Realm Crystal, so they could just warp straight to the Cursed Realm instead of going on this journey halfway across the world.

"Um..." Jessica's voice broke him out of his thoughts. "There did used to be a bridge here..." Lloyd stared at the cavern ahead, which had a sea of lava at the bottom. Large chunks of rock lay half-submerged in the lave, directly below where the bridge Jessica mentioned should be.

"Wonderful." Indigo said sarcastically.

"Well, it's really not that bad. We can just summon our elemental dragons!" Kai said. He clenched his hands into fists and concentrated, but nothing happened. "Huh?"

"What's up?" Jay asked, confused.

"I can't seem to make my dragon." Kai muttered. "And my elemental powers won't work either. What's going on?"

"My sensors are detecting large quantities of Vengestone in the vicinity." Zane explained, his eyes scanning the cavern.

"Oh. Rats." Kai sighed, letting his hands drop to his sides.

"How do we get across then?" Kayson asked from the back of the procession.

"Um... Morro, Cole, are you hurt by lava?" Lloyd asked, turning to the two ghostly members of the team.

"I don't know. Probably, since it's a liquid." Morro replied. "But I really don't want to try."

"Same here." Cole agreed, looking uneasily at the lava.

"Right, well then..." Lloyd thought for a few minutes before staring at the mostly-flat wall on one side of the cave. "Could we climb along that wall?"

"I could! Easily!" Jessica chirped. "Oh! I know! I can take one end of a rope across and climb across the wall and tie it to something and you can tie your end to something and then you all can climb across!"

"Great idea, Jess!" Jay exclaimed. "Uh... does anyone have a rope?" Rolling his eyes, Kai shrugged his backpack off and pulled a large coil of rope out of it.

"Uh, wait." Indigo spoke up. "It's a good plan, but I doubt Ming and I can climb across the chasm on a single rope."

"Ohhhhh..." Jessica murmured, a thoughtful look on her face. "Well... maybe we can find another way around."

"But that would take a long time, and we want to get to the Cursed Realm as soon as possible." Lloyd frowned as he stared at the gap.

"Hey, I know." Ming spoke up. "You guys can go ahead and go from there, and Indigo and I can try to find another way around."

"But what if there isn't another way around? Then you'll be stuck here until we come back." Nya pointed out. "I'll stay with you guys. Maybe I can help you two across the rope if we can't find any other way across."

"I'll stay too." Morro spoke up.

"Okay..." Lloyd didn't want to separate them, but there didn't seem to be any other option. "Alright. Jessica, go ahead." Jessica grabbed the rope from Kai with a grin and handed one end to Lloyd. She then slipped her arm through the coil of rope and ran to the end of the ledge and leaped off towards the wall, barely grabbing onto it. Without missing a beat, she got a better hold and began working her way across. The rest of the adventurers watched in strained silence as she made the perilous journey across the wall. She slipped a couple times, eliciting gasps from the onlookers, but recovered quickly and continued. After about fifteen minutes, she dropped onto the platform on the other side and tied the rope securely around a large boulder. Lloyd tied his end around a similar rock and, after making sure it was taut, climbed hand-over-hand across the rope. The other four Ninja and Kayson did the same, and, after waving goodbye to the others, walked off down the tunnel.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Tara crept stealthily through the darkness, approaching the sleeping ninja with her knife drawn. After Nya and her party had left, Tara had climbed across the rope in pursuit of the others. She had soon found them setting up camp, and had hidden while they ate and went to bed. Now that they were all asleep, it was time to complete part of her mission. Just in case freeing Clouse didn't work out like she hoped. Tara knelt beside her first target, the green ninja, and pulled the tiny, pulsing crystal out of her bag. Taking the knife, she carefully cut a thin line on his arm, not enough to hurt him and wake him up, but just enough to draw blood. Quickly, she touched the crystal to the red liquid forming on his arm and it glowed red for a moment before returning to its normal coloring. Except, now there was a tiny swirl of green energy dancing in the center. Smiling with satisfaction, Tara gently dabbed the blood off the scratch on Lloyd's arm, so he wouldn't notice it when he woke up, and moved on to her next victim.

* * *

 **Well, Tara's back! Bet you all thought she was "reformed"... wait, I don't think you did. Well, now you have more reasons to hate her! :D I don't actually hate her, really, because she has such an interesting personality.**

 **Lloyd just got back from his mission! He looks tired, though. He just said "Hi" and wandered off to his room. Guess he can't be bothered to write an author's note right now.**

 **I know this chapter was a bit short, and I'm sorry about that. I wrote another page and 1/2 on paper but it turned out that it didn't actually fit with the story, sooooo... yeah. I'll try to write a short chapter (maybe one of Jay's crazy dreams?) as well as the normal one tomorrow. :)**

 **Well, peace out, everyone!**

 **~FFF**


	22. Cheese

**Hey y'all! Today's chapter is pretty short, because I needed a break from hiding in the closet all night every night. So this is just another random thing that doesn't have anything to do with the plot. I think it's funny, though. ^ ^**

 **Review Replies:**

 **Breana: That means that the character is "too perfect". Look it up for more info.**

 **Angel: Ow! Too much screaming! *winces* Yeah... Tara's a jerk. Cough. Tara says she'd recognize his voice, so I guess not. But that would be cool. Yeah, he'll probably be like "wut why are you friends with that guy Lloyd", but I think he'll get over it. ^ ^ I have squishes on lots of people, including Lloyd. xD**

 **Tessa Garmadon: Yes! That is exactly how I felt. When sad, write. I lost my dear kitten in a car accident a little over 1 1/2 years ago, so I wrote him into a story of mine. I did the same for Garmadon. ^ ^**

 **Bob: Here ya go! One nutso dream! *gets swept away by cookie tornado* whooooOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAA!**

 **Sally: Yay, another reviewer! Lloyd complains that he's not a baby. I will certainly continue this. ^ ^**

 **NinjaMelissa: Ha! Your review made me laugh. That is the sort of reaction I'm trying to get with Tara. xD**

 **And now, a crazy chapter, starring... *drumroll* JAY! Have fun!**

* * *

Chapter 21

Jay walked down the parmesan path, observing the mozzarella clouds and cheddar sun.

"How odd." he muttered. "All of Ninjago appears to have been turned into cheese." he bent to examine an off-white flower that swayed gently in the swiss-scented breeze. After a moment, he straightened up, a determined look on his face. "This must be the work of the Slime Deer!" he declared to the cheesy field in front of him. "Now, where could his lair be...?" Jay muttered, scanning the area around him for a clue. After a moment, the Ninja of Lightning spotted a moldy-cheese sign that read, "This way to the slime deer". Now a man on a mission, Jay strode purposefully towards the distant mountains, only stopping to eat a couple cheesy flowers along the way.

ReturnToTheSlimeDeer

"That didn't take long." Jay remarked as he stood at the foot of the Blue Cheese Mountains. Directly ahead of him was a surprisingly well-lit tunnel leading into the center of the mountain. After admiring the scenery for a moment more, Jay walked into the tunnel. It was only moments later that he heard a high-pitched scream, a voice that he knew well. "NYA!" Jay broke into a run at the thought that his girlfriend could be in danger. Moments later, he emerged from the tunnel into a tall cavern. Ahead of him was giant pit full of boiling cheese, and dangling above it, from a string-cheese rope, was his beloved girlfriend.

"Jay!" Nya shouted, struggling in her bonds. "Don't come in here! It's a trap! They all tried, and look what happened to them!" she pointed at almost everyone he knew, the other Ninja, Sensei, Morro, Indigo, Ming, Tara, even Techi and Damien, who were bound and gagged and locked up in a Vengecheese cage.

"I have to, Nya!" Jay cried dramatically. "There's no one else left to save you!" With that, Jay dashed forward, his hands crackling with electricity. A net flew at him from the side, but he blasted it away with a bolt of lightning and kept going. When he reached the pit, he summoned his Elemental Dragon and flew into the air, cutting Nya's rope with a blast of electricity and catching her in his arms.

"Oh Jay, you're amazing!" She sighed dreamily. "You should've been the Green Ninja!"

"I know." Jay said proudly. "But for now, duty calls." he steered his dragon to land and had it vanish, dropping Nya and himself to the ground. "Alright, Slime deer! I know you're out there! Come and face me!" he shouted, glancing around the cave. Seconds later, the cave shook with giant footsteps and the giant, blue deer stomped slowly out of a side passage, an army of smaller slime deer at its feet. But the detail that captured the two ninja's attention most was the girl in the black dress sitting on the Slime deer's back.

"Who are you?" Nya asked in shock.

"I," the girl replied in a haughty voice. "am Madilyn JC. The creator of the Slime deer and curse-er of Ninjago."

"Really? I didn't know the Slime deer had a creator." Jay remarked.

"Well it does!" Madilyn snapped. "Now I will destroy you once and for all!"

"Jay, I'm scared." Nya whispered.

"Go free the others. I'll take care of this monstrosity." Nya nodded and ran off towards the Vengecheese cage as the Blue Ninja drew his nunchucks. "Eat lightning, slimey!" Jay yelled, sending a huge bolt of lightning at Madilyn and her army. The Slime deer roared in pain and fled the room, Madilyn screaming in terror. The rest of the slime deer, seeing their leaders defeated, fled the room as well. Seconds later, the curse was broken and Ninjago returned to its normal, non-cheesy state. The others, who Nya had freed, cheered as Jay strapped his nunchucks to his back with a grin.

"Nya was right, Jay! You should've been the Green Ninja!" Kai declared.

"Your bravery inspired me to change my evil ways." said Tara. "I will never do anything bad again!"

"You were so awesome, I'll never be able to eat cheese again without thinking of your triumph over the Slime deer!" Techi cheered.

"Who's the best ninja?" Cole asked.

"Jay is!" all the others yelled.

"Yeah!" Jay shouted.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Zane asked. Jay frowned.

"Breakfast? What?" At that moment, Jay woke up.

ReturnToTheSlimeDeer

"Jay?" Jay opened his eyes to see Zane standing over him. "Did you hear me?" the Titanium Ninja asked.

"Aw nuts!" Jay groaned, absently scratching a cut on his arm. "I was having the coolest dream! I was fighting a Slime deer and you all were saying I should be the Green Ninja!"

"You did not yet answer my question regarding breakfast. Although, I did hear you mention... cheese?" Zane paused for a moment as if trying to remember something. "...cheese?"

* * *

 **Ta da! One very short chapter! Barely 1,000 words. Oh well.**

 **I decided to make MadilynJC this dream's evil fourth wall breaker because she's Tara's creator. I hope you liked this!**

 **Oh yeah, and Lloyd says hi.**

 **~FFF**


	23. Troubles

**Greetings everyone! Here we have a pretty long chapter that contains *chokes* BLOOD! Oh well. Random unrelated note: I keep writing nexto instead of next to and Nyand instead of Nya and. Weird, right?**

 **Review replies:**

 **Breana: Precisely. ^ ^ I decided with his ego he would probably dream about being the green ninja.**

 **Angel: I'M WORKING ON IT! Ai yi yi! Okay. I told Tara, but she doesn't like you anymore (not your fault, she's just a total flake), so she ignored it. Well, except for the sword part. Then she ran away. ;D**

 **MadilynJC: Oh. Yes. I. Did. I hope I didn't offend you. xD**

 **Kairocksrainbow: Probably Jay was muttering in his sleep. Ha. YAY A RANDOM STORY! I loved it (my siblings can attest that I was laughing for no apparent reason) , except that Indigo is a big fan of Jesus, so... yeah. Why is Morro working with Miley Syrus fans? O.o xD Alright, Kayson's getting better! Can't wait to get more reviews from you. ;)**

 **BlackRoseDragon(I assume that was you): As cute as Midna is, I really don't ship MorroXMidna. (morroxindigoheehee) Sorry Midna.**

 **So, just so y'all know, I'm planning a costume party! Not really a halloween one, even though it's that time of year. My family doesn't celebrate halloween. Just a party where people dress up. So, there might be slightly shorter than usual chapters in the near future because I'm planning/making decorations/other stuff. Who knows? Well, I'll do my best to write normal-length chapters (and trick Lloyd into writing an author's note).**

* * *

Chapter 22

Lloyd sat at the fire in the middle of the cave they had camped in, eating an egg for breakfast. Though he had been woken up once the previous night be Jay making loud smacking noises in his sleep, Lloyd had enjoyed the first restful night in many days. And for this he was grateful. As he ate, Lloyd noticed a thin red wound on his arm, like a cat scratch. It looked pretty fresh, although he didn't remember getting it. He assumed that he'd just scraped it on something the previous night while walking. It wasn't important anyway. As Lloyd finished his egg, Zane spoke up.

"My sensors are detecting large amounts of interdimensional energy in this area. I calculate that there is a 86.297 chance that we are close to the portal."

"Alright!" Jay exclaimed happily "I can't wait to get out of this stupid volcano!"

"You do realize that we'll have to go back through it when we come back, right?" Cole asked, folding his arms.

"No. Well, sort of. I mean, we could always just blast through the walls or something on the way out, right?" Jay grinned.

"Yeah, well, I hope the others catch up with us soon." Kai said, obviously thinking of Nya.

"Me too." Lloyd agreed. "But we have to keep moving forward." He tossed the paper plate he had been using into the fire and it burst into flames. "Be sure to eat a big breakfast, guys. We have a lot of walking to do."

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"We," Indigo remarked dully. "are lost." She and the other three had been walking through the tunnels all... day? Night? She had no idea what time it was way in here. Hours and hours, anyway. Ming was practically sleepwalking, and Indigo and Nya were tired to. Morro seemed to be the only one who was unaffected. Maybe because he's a ghost.

"We are lost." Nya agreed. "I don't even know how to get back to the chasm."

"For all we know, we could be on the other side of the mountain." Morro said, walking ahead. "If only... ah!" he stopped short. Indigo and Nya quickly ran up to join him and stopped next to him. Indigo's mouth dropped open.

"We found it..." she breathed. In front of them was a giant, swirling, blue-and-purple portal. Indigo grinned and glanced at Morro, expecting him to be excited as well, but his eyes were closed and he had a pained look on his face. Oh. Indigo mentally slapped herself. Of course he wouldn't want to go back to the place he was trapped in for who-knows-how-many years. After a moment, her eyes flickered to the ground ahead and she frowned. Well, he wasn't going back just yet, because there was a 10-foot gap between them and the portal.

"More holes? Seriously?" Ming groaned from behind them, breaking the silence and startling them.

"I know." Nya walked to the wall and ran her hand across it before sighing. "Vengestone. Of course."

"It sure would be handy to have Jessica here right now..." Indigo muttered, looking around for any way they might cross.

"There's a ledge here!" Morro called from the left side of the cavern. Indigo and the other two girls ran over to join him and saw that yes, there was a ledge there. It was barely 1/4 of a foot wide, and it sloped down towards the pit slightly, but it seemed to be the only way across. The only question was whether or not it was a good idea to risk it.

"That doesn't look very safe." Nya remarked.

"I have an idea! Do we have any rope?" Ming asked. Nya nodded and fished a coil of rope out of her pack. Ming took it. "Thanks. We can tie this around someone's waist and they can try to go across, and if they fall we can pull them up!"

"Oh. Yeah, that'll work." Indigo grabbed one end of the rope and tied it around her waist. "I'll go first." Before anyone could stop her, she flattened herself against the wall and began inching along the ledge. Nya, Ming, and Morro quickly grabbed the rope, holding on tightly in case she fell. After a few moments, Indigo realized that she probably shouldn't have volunteered because of her injured arm, but it was too late to go back now. Slowly, she inched along, freezing when she slipped or stepped on a pebble. When she was halfway there, she glanced up to see the others holding on tightly to the rope. Morro looked... even paler than usual, if that was possible, and Ming looked nervous too, but Nya gave Indigo an encouraging smile and she returned it. Just as she looked back down at her feet, she misstepped and slipped, losing her footing on the ledge and plummeting into the pit.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Lloyd had noticed a slight change in Jessica's personality since he'd met her. She wasn't as much as a crazy fangirl anymore. She actually seemed slightly... _shy_ around him. Whenever he was around her she would twirl her chocolate-brown hair around her fingers and smile. Like a crazy fangirl, but calmer. Maybe she genuinely liked him. As he thought about this, he absently noticed a scratch on Jay's arm. Just like the one on his own. Snapping out of his thoughts, Lloyd strode over to the blue ninja and held his arm next to Jay's. The scratches were identical.

"Jay, where did you get that scratch?" Lloyd asked with a frown.

"No idea. Uh, why does your arm have one just like it?" Jay pointed to Lloyd's arm and he shrugged. Kai, overhearing the conversation, looked at Lloyd and Jay's arms before holding out his own.

"The same scratch." Lloyd said grimly. "Hey! Does anyone else have a scratch that looks exactly like this one?" the others stopped walking.

"I do." Kayson spoke up after a moment. Everyone else was silent for a few moments.

"That's creepy." Lloyd said.

"But, I don't have a scratch." Jessica said, confused.

"Neither do Zane or I, but I'm a ghost and he's a nindroid." Cole added.

"Does anyone here have any idea what this might be?" Lloyd glanced around at the other members of his team.

"I am not sure if this is of relevance, but the scratch's location is directly over a primary vein in the human arm." Zane informed them.

"I just don't get it. Did someone sneak up on us in the middle of the night and cut us? Why? To get our blood?" Kai sighed. "I'm confused."

"We all are." Cole assured him. Just then, the group heard a scream echo through the tunnels.

"What was that?!" Kayson turned back and forth, trying to figure out which direction the sound had come from.

"A scream?" Jay suggested.

"We _know_ it was a scream, zaptrap." Cole rolled his eyes. "We want to know where it came from. And who screamed."

"Um, hello? A scream means someone's in trouble? Let's go!" Kai yelled before sprinting down the tunnel. Lloyd and the others quickly followed.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Ming screamed as Indigo dropped into the pit. Morro and Nya quickly yanked on the rope, trying to pull Indigo back up. Half a second later, Morro heard a _thud_ as she slammed into the wall.

"...ow..." he heard her mutter as they hauled her back up. Ming had dropped the rope and was staring wide-eyed in shock at the edge of the pit. As soon as Indigo was high enough, Morro ran to the edge of the cliff and grabbed her, since she was either dazed or unconscious, and pulled her back up. She had, fortunately, hit the wall on her left side, which was her previously uninjured one, so her already-gashed arm hadn't been damaged further. However, she had hit the side of her head against the cliff face, which created a bleeding gash on the side of her head. Morro could only hope that she hadn't gotten a concussion. Other than that, she had multiple bruises and scratches (some of them bleeding) on her arm and shoulder. Her eyes were slightly open but unfocused.

"I'm so sorry!" Ming squeaked in horror. "This is all my fault!" Morro ignored her and tugged Indigo farther onto the ground before examining her wounds more closely. Unfortunately, he couldn't help her, because he might come into contact with her blood, which was a liquid and would hurt him. He motioned Nya over with a grave expression on his face.

"Her head wound needs cleaned and bandaged. You need to do it, since I can't touch water and likely her blood counts." Nya nodded, her panicked expressing replaced with a commanding one.

"Go get the first aid kit." she instructed him. As he ran to get it, he heard her say, "Ming, come help me." Morro dug through Nya's backpack, which was where she had left it on the floor, and quickly located the medical bag. He handed to the water ninja before backing away to give them room to work. He only hoped that Indigo would be alright...

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"Alright." Nya said at last, standing up and backing away from Indigo. Morro stood up from where he had been sitting against a rock and walked over to see how his friend was doing. Indigo was lying on a flat piece of rock on the ground that Nya and Ming had cleared the rocks and other debris off of. Her eyes were closed and her chest was rising and falling steadily, showing that she was asleep. There was a slightly blood-soaked bandage wrapped around her head wound, and the scratches on her arm that had been bleeding were clean and had dried. He then noticed for the first time that her already-tattered clothes had a new rip in the sleeve. Morro sat down next to her and lifted her head up to rest on his leg, so she would be more comfortable. They stayed like that for a few minutes, as Nya and Ming repacked the medical kit, before footsteps echoed down the tunnels and Kai ran into the room, followed by the others. As Lloyd entered the room, he first stopped and stared at the portal for a few moments, his face breaking into a smile. Then his eyes alighted on Indigo and he gasped, his smile vanishing.

"Indigo! What happened?" he asked Morro as he ran over and dropped to his knees next to them. At the sound of her name, Indigo's eyes flickered open and she coughed before smiling weakly.

"That plan... was not well thought out."

* * *

 **Pfft, duh. If they fall they're going to smash into a cliff. Duh. Shoulda thought of that.**

 **Aww, Morro's worried about Indigo! COULD IT BE LOOOOOOOOOOV-**

 **Morro and Indigo: NO!**

 **Me: Whatever. So, anyway, earlier I was thinking about this fanfiction and I thought, "** **I really need to move Morro and Indigo's romance along... but how?"**

 **Me: *reads romance fanfictions***

 **Me: I see... traumatic events. *pushes Indigo off cliff***

 **Indigo: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH *smash* ow**

 **Me: IT'S FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!**

 **So, hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Lloyd is here to give you a short story.**

 **Hi everyone! Lloyd here, with... apparently a short story. Um, okay.**

 **Kai: Hey guys!  
**

 **Other ninja: Hey!**

 **Kai: So, what do you think of the reviewers?**

 **Cole: They're cool, I guess. I don't really understaJaynd them. And one of them poisoned FFF once, so... *stares suspiciously at reviewers***

 **Jay: Yeah, that was an accident. At least, that's what I heard. My favorite reviewer is Bob, because he/she gives us LOTS OF COOKIES!**

 **Zane: Affirmative. I do not have a favorite reviewer, though I greatly enjoy the short stories of the one who calls herself "Kairocksrainbow"**

 **Kai: She's my favorite too, because I'm in her name!**

 **Lloyd: Reviewers creep me out, honestly. And I don't want to be anywhere near Angel Star Ninja, because she has Inner Fangirl Control Issues (IFCI), and BlackRoseDragon's friend is always trying to kiss Morro or I. But If FFF likes them, whatever.**

 **FFF: Yeah! Review, everyone!**

 **Jay: Who invited you?!**

 **FFF: I own the fanfiction you fool. I can go anywhere I want. I also invited Morro.**

 **Morro: Hey.**

 **FFF: and Indigo.**

 **Indigo: *asleep***

 **FFF: and everyone else**

 **Tara: Hello!  
**

 **Kai: KILL HER!**

 ***all the characters except for Indigo because she's asleep run after Tara who screams and runs***

 **FFF: Well that went well.**

 **Indigo: Zzzzz**

 **THE END**

 **~FFF**


	24. A Long-Awaited Entry

**Greetings again, everyone! It's almost the weekend! Yay! Too bad today's chapter isn't incredibly long. I was watching a movie last night. :)**

 **Review replies:**

 **TheFlamingStar: I'm glad I made you laugh! Woohoo, pizza!**

 **MadilynJC: Oh that's good. ^ ^**

 **Angel: Well, I'd be scared of a screaming girl who was waving a knife. Trust me, you're terrifying. Wow, I didn't even know Pixal had theme music... mm, wait I think I saw it on the Ninjago wiki... anyway. Lloyd realized that he's not actually afraid of you because he's the green ninja and he can "take you on any day" in his words. And Tara demands credit for causing that cute scene, so I have her the half-cookie your brought. ^ ^ Thanks for the earplugs. Tara is trying to figure out how hers work. Haha. I can't wait until she figures it out.**

 **Kairocksrainbow: See? Death glares! No wonder the ninja are afraid of you guys! Haha. I want to hear that story sometime. In the meantime, the ninja are fighting again. Agh, I shouldn't let them read the reviews anymore. Wait, what did Jay and Cole say to Kai in Season 5? I don't remember :P Well, thanks for the cookies and bye till next time!**

 **Lloydguy: The ninja and Morro happily accept your cookies (Kai: CHOCOLATE CHIP IS MY FAVORITE) ...and then Kai stole them all. Whoops. Oh well. Better bring extra next time. ;D**

 **BlackRoseDragon: Eeeehhhh... Jessica and Lloyd aren't EXACTLY a couple, because there's this other OC I'm going to put in the story who also has a crush on Lloyd. So maybe you can just squeeze Lloyd instead.**

 **Lloydgarmy: Are you the same as Lloydguy? Cause you have very similar pen names. Huh. Well, thanks for the cookies!**

 **Bob: You are very suspicious. Trust me. Jay happily accepted your billion cookies... 2 weeks ago. He still hasn't reappeared. xD Maybe I should send the other Ninja and Morro to help him... Zane politely thanks you and wants to know how to fix her. Kai argues this "his hair is fabbu" and Lloyd accepts your apology and happily eats your cookie. ^ ^**

 **dsfsdfsddfsdf i: Read it and find out, chum. Also, plz pick a different pen name next time, that one is hard to type. xD**

 **ElvenPrincess: Hi! I'm always happy to see new reviewers. :D Glad you like my story! Wow, you know Elvish? Cool!**

 **Windy: No school on mondays? Lucky you. I get fridays off, though. :) Yep, a beta reader proofreads and stuff, makes sure that there are no misspellings or obvious plot holes, or anything like that. ^ ^ Is your sister over her illness? I'm so glad she's doing better. :D Thanks for praying for A and I. We actually emailed each other today. :) Lloyd'd mostly scared of Angel Star Ninja... because she's *whispers so she doesn't hear me* nuts. Cough. Anyway! Lloyd likes everyone who gives him cookies, at least. Last I saw him he was hiding in the closet eating them. ^ ^ Yeah, Tara is just a jerk. I really like her, though cause she gives me so much plot. *evil grin* Say, maybe I should have her push someone off a cliff. Hey, if when ghosts die they to the Cursed Realm, does that mean that a ghost could jump off a cliff in the Cursed Realm and survive? Would it even hurt them? Maybe all ghosts are invincible in the Cursed Realm. idk. I'm rambling now, aren't I? Oh well. Boys with trumpets are my worst fear. After spiders. xD**

 **So... I noticed that no one directly mentioned poor Indigo's plight last chapter. DOES NO ONE CARE?! :C Also, did anyone notice that Morro is protective of her? Eh, if it's not obvious in the last chapter, it should be in this one.**

 **Well, on to the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 23

"You're right, Indigo." Lloyd said thoughtfully. "That plan _was_ not well thought out." Morro and Nya had filled the others in on the events that had transpired since their separation. Ming was sitting on a rock with Daggerclaws curled up on her lap, petting him as she listened to the others talk.

"Well, at least we found the portal!" Jay spoke up optimistically.

"Yeah, but we can't get to it right now, plus one of the members of our team is severely injured." Kai grumbled. "I mean, I'm sure we can-"

"I'm not _severely_ injured!" Indigo argued, glaring in Kai's direction from where she was lying on the ground. "I'm just scratched up a bit! And my head hurts a little. Or a lot. But it's not like I'm dying."

"Yes, but we don't want to move you until your head heals a bit." Nya called over from the other side of the cave.

"But that could be _days!_ " Indigo groaned. "And I don't want to lie here on the ground for days!"

"She has a point there." Lloyd said, frowning. "It would be a big setback to just sit here for days."

"Well, let's just separate again." Cole suggested.

"The last time we split up, this happened." Morro said dryly as he gestured to Indigo, whose head was resting on his leg.

"Oh. True." Cole nodded solemnly. "So what do we do?"

"I guess someone could... carry her." Kai shrugged.

"Yes, but we still don't know how to get across in the first place." Zane reminded him.

"Well, as I was about to say before I was so _rudely_ interrupted," Kai shot a glance at Indigo, who was staring at the ceiling and didn't notice. "I'm sure we can figure out a way soon enooooouuuugh..." Kai trailed off as he realized that Jessica was standing on the opposite side of the pit. Lloyd and Morro followed his gaze.

"Wha- how'd you get over there?" Lloyd asked, his mouth falling open. Jessica grinned and pointed to a long rope that was hanging down in the middle of the pit.

"I tied that there." She demonstrated by jumping out, grabbing the rope, and swinging across, landing safely on the other side.

"Wow. Uh okay. I don't know how you did that without us noticing, but... whatever." Kayson spoke up after a few seconds. "However, I don't think someone could carry Indigo and swing on a rope on the same time."

"Or Ming." Indigo added.

"Yeah, you girls are just a pain when it comes to crossing pits." Jay said idly, tossing a pebble into the pit and listening to plop into the water far below.

"Not our fault!" Ming glared at him from across the cave.

"Hey, I tried and I fell off a cliff. Which is exactly why we're in the situation in the first place." Indigo reminded him.

"Exactly. A pain." Jay folded his arms triumphantly.

"Shut up." Morro told him.

"Well, let's just think for a moment." Kai said, interrupting their short argument. "Um... are there any tunnels on the other side of the cliff? Maybe we can find one that leads over there." Nya grabbed a flashlight, walked over to the edge of the pit, and shined it across for a few moments.

"Doesn't look like it." she said with a sigh.

"...jeez." Cole ran a hand through his hair. "This is hard."

"...maybe we could, like, put some ropes across, like a bridge or something." Jay said lamely before groaning loudly. "Why did there have to be vengestone?!"

"Jay, nothing about this mission is going to be easy. Accept it." Kai patted the blue ninja's shoulder. Jay sighed and cave lapsed into silence.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

It had been almost half an hour since someone had talked, they were all thinking too hard about some way to get across the pit with Indigo and Ming. All this was actually somewhat of a relief to her, that they were all working so hard so she could go with them. She had never been quite sure if they'd forgiven her for attacking Lloyd at the beginning.

"I could throw her across." Cole said idly.

"Uh, what? No. Don't throw me." Indigo said quickly.

"That might actually work." Lloyd said, staring at the 10-foot gap. "I mean, there really doesn't seem to be any other option."

"But I'll get hurt more!" Indigo argued.

"Someone can catch you. Sorry Indigo, but unless you want to get left behind..." Lloyd trailed off. "Besides, can you think of anything else?" Indigo thought for a moment before sighing and shaking her head.

"...no. But that doesn't make it smart."

"Alright then. Cole, you can throw her and Ming across." Lloyd said firmly. "Come on, guys. Let's go." He stood up from where he had been setting next to Morro and Indigo and swung across the pit, followed a few moments later by Jessica, Kayson, and the other ninja except for Cole. Cole then picked up Ming, who was clutching Daggerclaws tightly, and threw her across the gap. She was caught by (landed on) Jay, unhurt.

"I don't like this..." Indigo muttered.

"Would you rather stay behind?" Lloyd called from across the pit.

"No." Indigo sighed. "Fine. Throw me." Morro gently pulled her head off of his leg and set it on the ground before walking over to the pit and swinging across in preparation to catch her. Cole gently picked her up, not wanting to hurt her further (though throwing would probably hurt a lot), then swung her back before tossing her into the air. She squeezed her eyes shut until she crashed into something soft, Morro. She opened her eyes to find herself lying on the ground, partly on top of the ghost. She must've knocked them both down. Her headache was worse, though. She tried to sit up, but found that her muscles didn't respond. "My arms won't move." she said after a moment. "Actually, none of me will." Morro sat up and pulled her upright against him. It was a nice feeling. Zane walked over and examined her for a moment before announcing,

"Temporary paralysis. Your head injury combined with the shock of your fall has paralyzed you from the neck down, it appears."

"Oh. Lovely." Indigo said sarcastically. "Any idea when I'll be able to move again?"

"It could be up to 48 hours." the nindroid replied. "But probably sooner."

"Yay. Well, at least we're at the portal now!" she said semi-cheerfully.

"Yeah!" Jay agreed with a grin. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" he ran towards the portal and jumped into it, vanishing instantly. Nya, after picking up Jay's discarded backpack, followed him through. The other ninja, Kayson, and Ming were right behind them. Morro looked down at Indigo before picking her up bridal-style.

"Ready?" he asked. She nodded, and he jumped into the portal.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Going through a portal, Ming realized, was not much fun. She felt like she was being pulled apart and squished back together again, over and over and over again. Looking around, she could see Nya, Cole and a couple of the others floating around in the purple-blue void as well. After about fifteen seconds, she was spit out of the portal onto rocky ground.

"Ow!" Ming heard Jay yelp as he thudded onto the ground. She heard pained groans from the others as they were slammed onto the ground too.

"Are... are we still in the mountain?" Kai asked, confused, as he picked himself up.

"A mountain, but not THE mountain." Morro replied, picking up Indigo who was sprawled on the ground unmoving. "Are you alright?" he asked her quietly.

"Yeah..." she replied.

"So we have to go through ANOTHER mountain?" Jay groaned."Really?"

"Actually, we don't have to go very far at all. There's a way out of the mountain just down that tunnel, I think." Morro pointed to a tunnel that led out of the cave. "That leads onto a path that spirals down the edge of the mountain."

"Oh. Well, that's good! I mean, at least we won't get lost in the caves again." Cole said optimistically, standing up. As the others murmured their agreement, Ming walked towards the tunnel Morro had pointed out and began walking through it. She soon saw a light at the end and walked faster. When she reached the end, she stopped, blinking in the bright light and staring over the land below. They had made it. They were actually in the Cursed Realm.

* * *

 **Do do DOOOOOOOOOOO! *takes a bow* They made it!**

 **Whoa, I barely got this out in time. Sorry for any typos. I'm gonna get kicked off the computer any minute so bye**

 **~FFF**


	25. Inner Thoughts

**Well, this chapter is a bit of a weird one. I was writing Morro's thoughts, and then it evolved into a 4 1/4 page internal monolog. So yeah. I'll try to write the first of the RttCR one-shots today. :)**

 **Review replies:**

 **Angel: Don't worry, she'll show up soon. ;D Lloyd wants you to kill Tara, but I say no, I still have plans for her. ^ ^ Sorry, like Cole said, Garmadon's on the other side of the Cursed Realm. It'll be a few chapters. I tried looking up her theme song but I couldn't find it. :/ Oh well. I'll just listen to The Ghost Whip. ^ ^**

 **Kairocksrainbow: Oh yeah. Kai's negotiating stinks, honestly. That scene makes me laugh so hard. Yep. But they still have a looooooooooooooooooong way to go. And they'll probably get attacked by evil ghosts along the way. Or evil Taras. Or evil authors. Y'never know. ^ ^**

 **iluvninjagothenextstepgirl: I know! That's actually where I first saw Ninjago. :D Then I got hooked and watched the whole series and then I wrote this fanfiction. ^ ^**

 **pufferpillargirl: Glad you liked it! :D**

 **Welp, I'd ask Lloyd to type something here, but he's still asleep. At 12:30 PM. I should probably send someone to get him up, but he was out really late last night doing... something. Anyone reading this get a visit from a certain green-garbed ninja last night? Oh well. Hope you like the chappie!**

* * *

Chapter 24

"Whoaaaa..." Ming's voice floated into the cave, catching the attention of the others, who were mostly still recovering from their turbulent ride through the portal. Jay hopped to his feet and ran out to join her, yelling back a moment later,

"Wow! We made it! The Cursed Realm looks so cool! Weird, but cool!" Lloyd jumped up and ran out, eager to see the place where his father was trapped. As he walked out, shielding his eyes from the sun, the first thing he saw was a land, a lot like Ninjago, but tinted a ghostly green. The sky was covered in a green haze that blocked most of the sun's rays from reaching the land below Ghosts floated freely through the air (close to the ground) and there appeared to be villages here and there. There was no sign of any sort of liquid.

"Wow, it's... dark." Cole said from behind the trio. Lloyd glanced over his shoulder to see the rest of the party standing behind him admiring the view. "Are those towns?"

"Ghost towns!" Jay cheered.

"Ghosts have towns." Morro told them, balancing Indigo in his arms. "We don't just sit around grumbling all day. We have houses and families."

"Can ghosts have kids?" Nya asked.

"I... don't think so. I've never seen any ghost children. We never age, either. Ghosts are immortal." Morro answered before falling silent, staring down at the land below.

"Well, do we have everything?" Lloyd asked after a few moments, glancing around at his teammates. "We should get going. No reason to stand around here, after all." Lloyd shrugged his backpack into a more comfortable position as Ming and Jay ran back to pick up their bags. As soon as they had returned, the party started off down the mountain trail.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Being paralyzed wasn't all that bad, Indigo decided. She didn't have to walk. She could just lie there in Morro's arms... being carried made her feel almost weightless. Sorta like swimming, and what she imagined flying must feel like. Could Morro fly, she wondered? Maybe, since he could control the wind. That would be so cool. Though, if he could, why were they walking down the mountain when they could just fly down? Probably normal elemental powers used up lots of energy, but hers made her get MORE energy because her powers were sucking energy. Indigo exhaled silently and closed her eyes. How _was_ Morro carrying her, anyway? Didn't normal people go through ghosts? Maybe he could make himself solid at will. That would be a cool power to have, she thought with a smile. Being a ghost didn't seem to be half bad, really. You could go through almost anything, possess people and objects, be immortal, become solid or un-solid at will, scare people out of their wits... Indigo visualized Cole scaring Jay and smiled, too sleepy to laugh. Wait, sleepy? Why was she so tired? Must be Morro carrying her... she thought before sinking into a deep sleep.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Morro glanced down at Indigo, asleep in his arms. She looked cute when she was asleep. Innocent. Like when they were in that cave, the night after they first met Tara. He was glad of his insomnia that night, if he had been able to sleep then Indigo most likely wouldn't be in his arms right now. He shifted her slightly, keeping his eyes on the path ahead so he wouldn't trip on an unseen rock. Morro wasn't sure _why_ he was so protective of the young girl. Maybe it was because of their similar childhoods, or... maybe it was because she needed someone to take care of her. Growing up, Morro had only had himself to rely on until he had met Sensei Wu. Indigo, from what he'd gathered, had only had Daggerclaws, and the cat looked pretty young, so he couldn't have been there for her entire life. She was a bit of a mystery, actually. With a childhood like that, it would make more sense for her to be suspicious and untrustful of them, but she had seemed completely trustful of them they day they met. He at least thought that she should be... not so cheerful. Maybe Daggerclaws had a bigger influence on her than he'd originally thought. Or maybe she hadn't been alone, maybe her parents or another guardian took care of her until she was old enough to take care of herself. He would have to ask her, just like he needed to ask her about swimming.

"Are we there yet?" Jay yelled boredly from ahead of him.

"Jay, we're still hundreds of feet up. Does it look like we're there yet?" Lloyd asked, slightly irritably.

"No?" the Ninja of Lightning guessed.

"Correct." Zane answered calmly. "Don't ask again."

Indigo shifted slightly. Was the paralysis wearing off? Morro hoped so. Though he enjoyed carrying her, his muscles were starting to burn from the strain. At least she was very light. Lighter than Lloyd. He thought back to the time the green ninja had fallen half-asleep while walking, and Morro had carried him to let him rest. Morro had never had a friend like Lloyd before. He had had Sensei Wu, but he was more like a father than a best friend. Lloyd was someone he could count on through think and thin. Morro unconsciously gripped Indigo tighter as he thought about how Tara had tried to sabotage their friendship by telling them lies about each other. He was glad she was gone. Suddenly, he remembered the odd scratches that Lloyd had told them about. Could that have been... Tara? Maybe Ming was wrong about her leaving. After all, stealing people's blood, like Lloyd had theorized about the scratches' origin, seemed like the exact thing that the backstabbing murderer would do. He'd have to start staying awake at night again. Of course, there were more dangers here than just Tara. The other ghosts, for example, wouldn't hesitate to attack them. They'd have to be very careful to stay hidden.

"Hey Morro." Morro blinked and looked up to see Kai walking beside him. "You look tired. Want me to take her for a while?" the fire ninja asked, gesturing to Indigo. Morro hesitated before nodding and carefully handing Indigo to Kai.

"...Thank you." Morro said after a few moments. Kai gave him a friendly smile before walking away to talk to Kayson. That was... odd. Morro knew that Kai didn't hate him anymore, but being nice to him? That definitely wasn't what he expected from the hotheaded fire ninja. Maybe the others really were warming up to him. Morro glanced off the side of the path, trying to gauge how much farther they had to go. He couldn't really tell, though, he had never climbed down the mountain before. When he had climbed this mountain it had taken him almost two days, but he wasn't moving constantly and wasn't in a hurry. The only reason he was climbing it at all was to jump off, just for fun. Ghosts couldn't die, after all, so he didn't have to worry about that. He had been planning to use his wind powers to cruise down, but he had found the portal and gone back to Ninjago instead. Then he'd been found by Lloyd and gone on this adventure. Being found, Morro had noticed, was a very good feeling. He'd been found three times, the first by Sensei Wu, the second when he gave his life to Christ, and the last when he was found by Lloyd. He hadn't thought about God for a long time, he had been consumed with thoughts of revenge on his Sensei. He had repented and repaired his relationship with his Father in heaven, though, since he had been befriended by Lloyd. God was his one friend who wouldn't die of old age... Morro hated to think of it, but being immortal had its drawbacks. Indigo, Kayson, Ming, and all the ninja except Cole and Zane would be dead after 100 years or so... it was just a matter of time. Morro cleared his head of those thoughts, determined to enjoy life now, instead of dwelling on the future. He would never have peace if he didn't.

* * *

 **Well that was a long... thingy. 4 1/4 PAGES LONG. I just didn't run out of things to say, soooo... yeah. It would've gone on longer, but I stopped it on purpose so I could save some stuff for later. I threw some random talking in there to break it up a bit.**

 **MY BRAIN IS MESSED UP I was watching this Ninjago tribute on Youtube and it was so sad and I couldn't stop LAUGHING. Why was I laughing?! I even FELT sad! And I just watched it over and over and over again... That's the problem with being a nindroid. Emotion issues. If you want to watch it (it's awesome) look up "** **lego ninjago tribute by sensei garmadon". It's the top result.**

 **Yeah, so, my headcanon is that all the good guys are christians. Because that's what I think is right. Sorry if you don't like it.**

 **For some reason, I always think of Ming as like a mouse. Why? No idea.**

 **Today on FFF's random dream thingy, last night I dreamed that the five ninja were captured by evil ghosts and locked in an underwater compound, and Garmadon and I had to rescue them. :3 Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance before I woke up. :P**

 **Today's random short story:**

 **FFF: Hi everyone!**

 **The ninja, Morro, Indigo, and Tara: Hi!**

 **FFF: I'd like you to meet a good friend of mine, Windy!**

 **Windy: Hi!**

 **Morro: Wait, why is your name Windy?**

 **Windy: Because I have wind powers.**

 **Morro: But I have wind powers.**

 **Cole: Maybe you're secretly twins.**

 **Lloyd: Probably not.**

 **Windy: So, what do you guys do for fun?**

 **Kai: Burn things up!**

 **Jay: Build machines!**

 **Nya: Build machines with Jay!**

 **Jay: Yay!  
**

 **Cole: Eat cake!**

 **Zane: Calculate the value of pi!**

 **Windy: What?**

 **Zane: Pi. It is a math thing.**

 **FFF: Yeah, I started writing this short little fanfic once where the ninja rebuilt Pixal, and they were doing it as a surprise for Zane, so they had to distract him somehow, so Cole told him to calculate the value of pi.**

 **Windy: Oh.**

 **FFF: Which reminds me, I should write that. None of you remember that.**

 **Jay: Remember what?**

 **Kai: Beats me.  
**

 **Lloyd: I like playing video games! And eating pie.**

 **Misako: I like making pie.**

 **Indigo: I like... um... petting cats.**

 **Morro: I like talking with Lloyd.**

 **FFF: This short story is turning into a LONG story. Time to go!**

 **Everyone: Bye!  
**

 **FEEDBACK PLEASE: Does anyone LIKE Indigo? Does anyone care about her and Morro's relationship? PLEASE LET ME KNOW!**

 **~FFF**


	26. Archer of Souls

**HAPPY WEEKEND EVERYONE! Like Windy says, let's do the Weekend Whip! If you're following me, you'll have noticed that I published the first chapter of Return to the Cursed Realm One-Shots! -** **s/11551337/1/Return-to-the-Cursed-Realm-One-Shots -** **And, if you're not following me, you know now. ;) The first chapter is a super-fluffy thing requested by ANGEL STAR NINJA. Not sure how often I'll update the collection, but I know requests/reviews would help. :D**

 **This chapter here is pretty short because I was up late last night writing that one-shot, so I didn't have time to write a very long normal chapter before I collapsed in exhaustion. So I didn't manage to get anything about Tara in it. :P Oh well.**

 **By the way, I bet you can guess from the title who makes an appearance in this chapter. ;)**

 **Review replies:**

 **Angel: I thought romance was awesome, but then I read friendship fluff. I'm not sure which one I like better now. :D Oh, sorry, did I kill you with the fluffy one-shot? Whoops. ;D** **Ha, throwing people who don't like Ninjago out the windows is perfect for stress relief. ^ ^ Uh... Morro with Bansha? o.o What the ghost? Pfft. I don't really care for non-canon pairings, except with OCs, although I sooooort of support Soul Archer with Bansha a little bit... EVERYONE has something against Tara cause she's a crazy weirdo. XD**

 **Kairocksrainbow: You are violent confirmed. o.o *backs away slowly* I'm kinda wondering how I should write that scene... probably lots of hugging. ^ ^ AGH CANDY TORNADOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooo**

 **Sally: I have no idea how many more chapters, probably at least ten. Sorry. I know how you feel, Garmadon would just make an awesome dad. ^ ^**

 **Breana: Yeah, Lloyd has something to say about that, after the review replies...**

 **Windy: You can put your name instead of Guest? Cool! I was wondering how the other guests were doing that... THE WEEKEND IS HERE *spins around* Thank God! :) Eh... our friendship is still strained, but we're working on it. ;) I really hope your parents let you make an account. And I'm also so glad you liked my one-shot! :D It was so fluffy I barely survived writing it. ^ ^ Aww, thank you for lighting your candle for me. :) Morro is planning to jump off a cliff... XD We'll see if he actually gets around to doing it. And you're right, he is so cute when he's in love. I'm not sure if I want to write platonic fluff between him and Lloyd or romantic fluff between him and Indigo. Probably I'll have more platonic fluff, because it's easier to write than romance... How did your brother get a trumpet, anyway? Aren't weapons not allowed at schools? XD Little spiders aren't nearly as bad as big spiders. -.- Fortunately I've never had to deal with a tarantula, though there was a large crop of daddy longlegs here this year. :P You're claustrophobic? Me too! I'm not really scared of demons, they just annoy me when they mess with my emotions... -.- I know, that video was so sad! I think I have some wires crossed. Though, funny things make me laugh too, sooo... U and Morro would make awesome siblings. I wish Morro was my sibling. I already have plenty, though. ^ ^ I like pi because... pi. Pi because pi because pi. My logic is impeccable. An awesome story is always better when it features the truth. :) Rambling is fine. Rambling is awesome. Rambling is good. This review reply is long. Love ya!**

 **Bob: Why do you keep saying pig? Zane thanks you for your information and walks off to find Nya. Hey, you buried all my characters in cookies! How am I supposed to get them out? Lloyd thanks you for the pie. :D**

 **BlackRoseDragon: Ninjago as an anime? What do you mean? You mean the way Morro acts... uh...t** **sundere?** **Midna, careful with that hair! If you're stressed about Morro not loving you, you could always throw Ninjago haters out of windows. :D**

 **So, Lloyd would like to say to everyone that he's not _really_ scared of them, just nervous when they run around with knives (coughangelcough  
** **starcoughninjacough). Besides, he's the Green Ninja, some little reviewers don't scare him. He'd love to take the time to get to know you all sometime, unless you're brandishing knives. Not sure what it is with him and knives, probably has something to do with a certain nightmare he had in a one-shot...**

 **...why was this author's note so darn long? Alright read the chapter now.**

* * *

Chapter 25

It had been a little over eight hours since the travelers had started down the trail, in which the path had widened considerably, much to their relief. Kai had given Indigo back to Morro a couple of hours before, since his arms were giving out, and was now making a point of dragging his feet on the ground and gasping dramatically in an attempt to get Lloyd to let him stop. Lloyd made a point of ignoring him (other than laughing from time to time at his antics). The sun was going down, though, so Lloyd instructed his teammates to look for a wide area on the path where they could set up camp. Morro reminded them of the danger from passing ghosts, and they eventually found a small, cave-like pocket in the mountain that was big enough for them to move around in comfortably, so they set up camp there. After a brief meal, all of them but Zane and Kayson, who were standing guard, went to bed.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"Lloyd, wake up!" Lloyd blinked wearily, waking up to Zane's voice in his ear.

"Yeah...? What is it?" the Green Ninja whispered, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"A large party of ghosts is headed up the mountain, led by our old friend Soul Archer." Zane replied grimly. "I calculate that they will arrive at our location in approximately 4 minutes and 52 seconds."

"Wake everyone up." Lloyd instructed, now fully away. "We need to pack everything up and hide so they don't know we're here." Zane nodded and ran to spread the news to Kayson, who began waking the others along with Lloyd and Zane. As soon as everyone was up, they grabbed their belongings and hid in the darkest corner of the cave, Morro carrying Indigo, whose body still wasn't responding like it should. After a few tense minutes, the ghosts entered the roofless cave, poking around as they looked for something. Lloyd recognised Soul Archer, Bansha, and Wrayth, of the six or seven ghosts who floated around the cave. After looking around for about thirty seconds, Wrayth spoke up.

"There's nothing here. Let's go." the ghosts turned to leave, but then Jay dislodged a pebble on the wall, which skittered along the floor and instantly caught the ghosts attention. Lloyd's heart pounded so loud that he was afraid the approaching ghosts could hear it. They were going to be found! They couldn't fight back, ghosts who were killed would just reappear in the Cursed Realm, which was exactly where they were, and even if they appeared somewhere else then they would tell others and soon the whole realm would know about them! Lloyd's mind was racing, trying to think of way to escape, when Morro nudged his arm. Lloyd turned towards him and was instantly handed Indigo, who looked confused. Morro put a finger to his lips before abandoning their hiding place and walking out into the open. Lloyd's eyes widened and he started to call the ghost back, but Indigo covered his mouth with her hand before he could.

"Morro. It's you." Soul Archer said, causing the two to look up at him. "Why were you hiding from us?"

"I didn't want to be disturbed." Morro replied, a venomous tone in his voice. "What are you doing on this mountain?" he narrowed his eyes at the intruders.

"What are _you_ doing on the mountain?" Soul Archer countered. "Tell me first."

"I was... going to the top, to jump off." Morro replied after a moment. "I'm going to try to cruise on the wind all the way to Archram. Is that a problem?" his folded his arms, glaring at Soul Archer.

"You shouldn't be so defiant, Morro." one of the other ghosts hissed. "Just because you led us once doesn't mean we'll always bend to your will."

"Besides, you are outnumbered." Soul Archer added.

"Are you going to tell me what you're doing here, or not?" Morro asked, discreetly taking a step backwards away from the band of ghosts.

"We," Soul Archer said finally. "are checking out a rumor that some humans were seen at the top of this mountain." the taller ghost floated closer. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you, _Morro_?" Morro laughed harshly.

"Archer, the last time I was with humans I was trying to kill them." he rolled his eyes. "Have you forgotten that already?"

"Why not come with us, then?" Bansha rasped from behind Soul Archer. "We're all going the same place, after all. Don't you get lonely climbing all by yourself?"

"I'm _fine_ , thank you." Morro hissed, backing away another step. "I don't need anyone else." Lloyd shuddered in his hiding place. Though he knew Morro was only acting, his tone reminded Lloyd of the way the ghost boy used to talk, before he became Lloyd's friend.

"Whatever." Soul Archer said after a few moments. "Have it your way." he turned around and floated out, the rest of his party close behind. Morro stared after them until they were far enough away, as which point he let out a tired breath and let his shoulders slump down. He turned around to face the others, all traces of malice gone from his face.

"That was close." he said quietly as the others filtered out of their hiding spot. "I hope we don't run into many more ghosts on the way."

"Same here." Lloyd agreed. Indigo wiggled her feet experimentally.

"Can you put me down?" she asked Lloyd. "I think I can walk now." Lloyd nodded and set her on her feet. She wobbled a bit before falling towards Morro, who caught her. "Thanks... I guess I'm not ready quite yet." she smiled and stifled a yawn, letting herself sink down to the ground and lean against a wall tiredly. After a few moments, Morro sat down next to her, closing his eyes and slumping against the wall as well. Lloyd smiled and sat down next to Morro, watching the stars until he slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

 **Ta daaaaaa, le short chapter.**

 **Yep. Soul Archer. He and Morro don't get along too well. While I was writing that I accidently typed "Sour Archer" once. That made me crack up.**

 **That ending where everyone fell asleep was inspired by the fact that I was really tired while writing it. Really really really tired. That's also why it's a bit short.**

 **Well, bye y'all! Don't forget to read the fluffy one-shot!**

 **~FFF**

 **P.S. We have almost 200 reviews! :D**


	27. An Innocent Ally

**ACK I MISSED A DAY DARNIT! Don't kill me. I went to Church yesterday morning so I couldn't write then and then I wrote until 8PM last night but then the internet shut off, and I couldn't get back on until 8AM this morning. -.- At least this chapter is really long.**

 **WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS BLOOD!**

 **Yesterday's A/N was way too long, so I'll try to make this one shorter. 203 REVIEWS, YAAAAAY**

 **So, today, October 12th, is Dress is your Favorite Ninja's Color Day, so today everyone should dress in the color if their favorite ninja! I'm wearing green. :D I used to really like Zane but now I think I like Lloyd better. ;)**

 **Review Replies:**

 **iluvninjagothenextstepgirl: I appreciate the fact that you review on every chapter, but could you take a few moments to say something about the chapter instead of just saying "love it" every time? Like, you could say "wow, I loved the part where Jay dumped a bucket of water on Kai" or something like that. Thanks!**

 **TheFlamingShogun: Hi! I don't remember you reviewing before. Ch-chocolate mountain?! *eyes sparkle* YUMMY! I'm glad you love my story! :D**

 **Kairocksrainbow: *instantly looks up names that mean beautiful that start with J* I got Jamilla and Jolie. Was I close? :D I have never watched an anime... so I don't know. Unless Kirby: Right Back At Ya is an anime. Might be. Why would Jay steal tea, anyway? Maybe Mystake took it. We'll never know. CANDY WHEEEE**

 **Angel: Yup. Bansha wants to know why you love her, and all the other ghosts are floating away quickly. Lloyd is glad you're not really a crazy murderer (referring to the time you shoved a knife down Tara's throat).**

 **Windy: If I replied to everything in your review it would be ridiculously long... :P Oh well. Can't wait for us to be able to email/PM. Anyway! Fluff is the best thing to read, ever. Out of all the fanfics I've read I liked the fluffy ones the most. :D I usually don't get to sleep until 12:30, and occasionally not even then, but usually I take a pill to help me sleep if it gets to 1:30 or 2:00 and I'm really bored, cause I'm not allowed to read or write or anything after 10:45. The latest I've ever stayed up was... hmm. 5:00 or something. I was tired that day. XD The worst dream I ever had had demons in it... it was pretty awful. . I think a book I was reading might've had demons attached to it, since one of the demons in my dream was invisible, like the main bad guy (which was a spirit) in that book. So yeah. Wow, that's weird. Things happen exactly the same way the next day? ...wow. o.o I was more claustrophobic when I was younger than I am now, but seeing people in really tight spaces freaks me out too. This is getting long... bye!**

 **Breana: Lloyd says he's nervous about chainsaws too, but not as much as knives. Nightmares will do that to you.**

 **Bob: Ah, I suspected autocorrect had something to do with it.**

 **DARN IT, ANOTHER SUPER-LONG AUTHOR'S NOTE! Oh well. Go read this pro chapter starring... Tara, our favorite sneaky jerkface!**

* * *

Chapter 26

Tara crouched behind a rock, silently observing the outside of the Ninja's camp. Zane and Ming were sitting at the exit, chatting amiably, probably on guard. It didn't matter, she had already gotten Zane's ice powers, by touching the crystal to the glowing battery-thing on his back. Tara was a bit frustrated, though, with Kayson's powers. She had seen him using them, so she knew they were there, but when she'd tried to absorb them into the crystal nothing had happened. Tara slipped the crystal out of the bag at her waist into her hand, grinning at the power that surged through her. It would be hard to give this crystal up, but she had to... didn't she? Maybe she could break it in half, and give one half to her employer and keep the other half for herself. That might not work, though.

"Oh well." she muttered out loud. The only powers she needed now were water, Nya, and void, Indigo. Tara clenched her teeth at the thought of how the stupid girl somehow managed to cheat death every time it came for her. She fell off a _cliff_ for pete's sake, and still survived with minimal injuries. Well, she had been temporarily paralyzed, but she seemed to be almost over that now. Tara had seen the whole event from her hiding place behind a rock. The only bad thing about the incident was that she had witnessed Ming's concern for the insufferable teenager, so now she couldn't kill her and break her promise not to kill any of Ming's friends. Heaving a quiet sigh, Tara straightened up and scaled the rock wall around the camp easily, pausing at the top to make sure no one (other than the guards) was awake. Seeing no movement, she hoisted herself over the edge of the rocky wall, landing silently like a cat.

After searching the camp for about a minute in the pale, green light of the stars, she found her target slumped against a wall in the corner, leaning on Morro, who was next to her, with her cat sleeping on her lap. Tara fought the urge to curse loudly. Cats had incredible hearing, and were also nocturnal. Not only that, but the stupid ghost boy always managed to get in her way! How would she do this? Tara clenched her fists tightly to relieve the tension building up inside her, making herself think. She needed something to keep them asleep... something... a spell! That would do the trick! A dream spell! She could get the girl, the ghost, the cat, and the green ninja, who was next to Morro, in a spell that would make their dreams so soothing, that they wouldn't ever want to wake up. Not until the dream ended, anyway. Tara hesitated, recalling the words for the spell, before starting to chant them out loud in a low voice. After a few words, her hands started to glow with purple light and she could feel them throbbing with power. Chanting faster, she watched the energy flow from her hands and surround the four, encasing them in a purple bubble of mist. As she finished the spell, she flicked her hands towards her targets and the mist seeped into them. A few seconds later, the four's faces relaxed and they shifted slightly before going limp.

Tara grinned and pulled a her favorite knife from a sheath at her side. Its blade was made of flawless Deepstone that shone like silver in the starlight. It used to be a normal metal blade, but Clouse had charmed it with a spell that turned it into a aquatic material. It was if he somehow knew that someday she'd need it... well, he probably did. Even if he didn't, it was always good to have a ghost-killing knife on hand. Tara shook her head, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand. Not bothering to be gentle, Tara gashed Indigo's forearm in the same place as she did the others, and blood instantly started seeping out. Indigo frowned and let out a quiet cry of pain in her sleep, cradling her bleeding arm closer to her chest. Ignoring her movement, Tara whipped out the crystal and quickly touched it to the spreading blood, adding an indigo swirl to the multicolored crystal. Tara dabbed some of the blood onto a sharp rock above Indigo's head, trying to make it seem like she had simply gashed her arm in her sleep. The deed done, Tara turned to Morro, fingering the knife in her hand.

She hadn't wanted to try this before, for fear of accidentally killing him and sending him to the Cursed Realm, but now that they were there it wouldn't be a problem, right? Tara wiped the blood on the blade off on her sleeve before, ever-so-gently, sliding the tip into his arm. It cut. She cut a very light scratch in his arm, out of which floated a greenish... gas, or something. She held the crystal in it and it glowed pale green, soon adding the color to the rainbow of colors inside. Tara nearly shouted with excitement. It worked! Leaving the four dreamers, she snuck across the camp to get the last two elements, water and earth.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Tara slipped back out if camp, the precious crystal tucked carefully away in her satchel. Her mission was complete! Well, the power-taking part. Now all she had to do was rescue Clouse, and this horrible business would be over! She did have to follow the others, though, so she could find the place where Clouse and Lloyd's father were imprisoned. She had noticed, on the way out, that Indigo was still bleeding. Oh well. If the idiot bled to death then she wouldn't care. As Tara looked for a place to settle down for the night, she startled at the sound of a clear musical note, breaking the ominous silence of the mountain. Another, and another, and then a soft melody. A flute, it sounded like. Tara closed her eyes, entranced by the soothing music that seemed to flow with the wind. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes, having pinpointed the direction the music was coming from, and began to follow it, eager to see what made such beautiful music. After climbing up a rock wall to a secluded ledge, she found a boy, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, and playing the music she had heard with a silver flute. Tara hoisted herself up on the ledge and watched, mesmerized, until the music stopped. Without opening his eyes, the boy lowered the flute and said,

"I am not used to having an audience." Tara blinked, his words breaking the spell that the music had trapped her in.

"That was amazing." she said after a moment. "Who are you?" she asked. The boy opened his neon-green eyes.

"My name is Alexander, please call me Alex." he nodded to her in greetings, the low ponytail in his snow-white hair waving as he did. "I am the Elemental Master of Music." Tara's eyes widened. Another elemental master? She would have to get his powers too!

"I'm Tara." She introduced herself. "What are you doing in the Cursed Realm?"

"I'm a wanderer." Alex replied, carefully putting his flute into a black case, which had been lying on the ground next to him. Tara noticed a flute pendant around his neck that looked like a miniature version of his instrument. "I travelled here to look for new inspiration for my music. What are you doing here?"

"I'm a bounty hunter." she replied automatically. As she continued, a plan formulated in her mind and she smiled. "I'm tracking a group of criminals who kidnapped a friend of mine, a girl named Ming. I can't take them by myself, though, they number at least eight and I'm only one..." Tara frowned sadly, then brightened suddenly, as if struck with an exciting thought. "Maybe you could help me! I'm sure your elemental powers could help me subdue them! Although, a fair number of them are elemental masters as well."

"I would be happy to help you save your friend." Alex said, grabbing a black Bo Staff from the ground that had musical notes carved into it and getting to his feet. "My music can charm those with evil in their hearts like snakes." he said with a thin smile, slinging his flute case over his shoulder.

"Really?" Tara beamed at him joyfully. "Thank you! I'll show you where their camp is, and we can try to think of a way to get in without them noticing. " Alex nodded and Tara began to climb back down the rock face, grinning as she did. Now she wouldn't have any trouble getting his powers into the crystal. Not only that, but now she had an ally.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

 _Morro channeled wind through his armed, proppelling himself high in the sky. The sun was shining high in the sky, and there wasn't a cloud in sight. He spun in the air, unable to stop grinning. Flying was, by far, the best feeling he had ever expirienced. Suddenly, the sun grew hotter, burning him. Suprised by the sudden pain, Morro was unable to stay in the air and began to plummet towards the ground below..._

Morro's eyes flew open as his dream ended, but the pain remained. Looking down at his right side, he was shocked to discover that it was covered in blood. Morro jumped to his feet and blew the blood away from himself with a gust of wind, shouting for the rest of the camp to wake up. His shout alerted everyone, except for Lloyd, Indigo, and Daggerclaws, waking them up. Kayson was the first to discover the blood, as well as its origin.

"Indigo! Wake up!" he yelled as he ran across the cave towards her, snapping his fingers in an attempt to wake her. Indigo barely noticed. Niether Lloyd nor the cat responded either. Abandoning his attempts to wake them, Kayson poured water from a canteen onto a rag, soaking it, and began cleaning the blood of her wound in an attempt to get a better look at it. The other, awake, ninja came over as well, staring at Indigo's half closed wound in shock. Cole shot Morro a sympathetic look as Morro nursed his still-burning side. After a few minutes, Kayson had cleaned and bandaged the wound, though both he and the sleeping girl were completely covered in blood. "I don't know why she and Lloyd won't wake up, but other than being asleep, they're fine." Kayson glanced at a sharp rock, just above Indigo's head, that had dried blood on it. "She must've hit her arm against this rock in her sleep. Everyone can go back to bed, it's no big deal." he walked back to his backpack to find a change of clothes, since his were ruined, as the others walked back to their beds. Not Morro, though. He silently walked over to Lloyd and found a dry spot next to him. The ghost rested his head against the wall, staring at the sleeping Ninja. Why wouldn't he wake up?

* * *

 **I swear, I'm not trying to be so hard on Indigo. It just happens. I was writing that scene and I was like "Hey, Tara hates her guts, so..." that happened. (Jay: You shouldn't swear. It's a sign of bad verbal skills.) Shush, Jay. Anyway, yep. Not my fault. Was that too graphic? PLEASE, LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.**

 **Tara's paragraph up there was so long I had to split it up into chunks. Just BTW.**

 **Meet Alex, everyone! Poor guy, got tricked by Tara. We'll see how that turned out.**

 **Well, the good news is that now everyone has more reasons to hate Tara! :D Yay. At least she gave them GOOD dreams for once.**

 **Nice long chapter. Hope you liked it! Again, please let me know if you thought it was too graphic. It didn't bother me at all, but I was writing it, sooo... anyway. Bye! Dress in the color of your favorite Ninja!**

 **~FFF**


	28. Wounded

**BLOOD WARNING BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP No, like, slashing people, just lots of blood. :P**

 **Yay, I got this chapter out today! It's pretty long. I just keep writing and writing, can't stop. Until the end of the chapter, anyway. Then I go read the bible and talk to God. :)**

 **By the way, Silver, my laptop, is (I think) dead. She just won't wake up, and I think God's saying to me that she's gone. Oh well. :( So I'll be using slowing computers from now on.**

 **If you wanna see an awesome video, go to Youtube and search "Morro Tribute Monster". The top result is the best. It's an awesome song and fits Morro perfectly.**

 **Review replies:**

 **Kairocksrainbow: Spooky. I'm wearing green, and my sister is wearing orange. Orange and green and white. But she likes Cole the best. :P Oh well. She was wearing black but the skirt she was wearing had a hole in it. I'm gonna have to fix that... Uh, no, bad call, he loves his tea. (AVENGERS REFERENCE FTW) Jay's screwed. xD**

 **Angel: VIOLENCE ACK Probably Ming will figure it out soon. Everything Tara has done is building up, and soon it'll fall over and crush her. Bansha is glad you like her. MORE VIOLENCE ACK I'm not exactly sure how that will work out, probably Alex'll start beating one of the good guys up and then the rest will be like, "NU TARA'S EVIL" and he'll be like "WOT" and they'll explain and... well, I shouldn't give away the plot. Mwahahahaaa...**

 **Windy: I know, I like Alex too. :D He's really sweet, you'll see. I know. I can play the piano a little, but I havn't played for a while because I had finger surgery earlier this summer and you kinda need fingers to play the piano... heh. Y'know why Tara liked his music so much? Snakes are charmed by flute music, and she's a snake! *maniacal laugh* Feel free to kill Tara at any time! Just not with a knife. Like, a chainsaw or something. ^ ^ Lloyd's okay. Like Indigo, he's just wrapped up in a dream. I'm wearing green too, for both Lloyd and Morro (who isn't exactly a ninja but who cares lol). :D See ya next review!**

 **AwesomeDisneyWolfChild: Aww, thanks so much! O/u/O**

 **Guest: You'll just have to wait and see... *mysterious grin***

 **Breana: Glad you like him! :D Tara totally deserves it. *nods wisely***

 **Wow, an actually semi-short A/N... oh wait, not really. Bleh, whatever. Well, I gotta go do schoolwork, so I'm handing this over to Lloyd.**

 **Hey everyone, Lloyd here. FFF told me not to make this Author's Note too long, so... yeah. Hi.**

* * *

Chapter 27

Indigo blinked slowly as she woke up, the relaxing dream she'd just had fading into a view of the greenish sky. After a few moments of staring at the clouds, she noticed that her arm left was throbbing dully with pain. Glancing down at it, she was surprised to see her forearm wrapped in a reddish bandage, and the rest of her , as well as the ground around her, covered in the red liquid as well. She frowned, wondering what could've happened while she was asleep. She tried to move her head to look around, but she grew dizzy instantly, most likely a result of blood loss, and gave up. She groaned softly. Why did everything always happen to her? What _had_ happened to her, anyway?

"Indigo?" she heard Morro's voice from her left, and titled her head a tiny bit so she could see him. He was sitting on the other side of Lloyd, who was asleep and stained with her blood as well. "Are you alright?" Morro asked.

"No. I'm covered with blood and my arm hurts and if I move I get really dizzy. What happened to me?" Indigo asked, looking back down at her blood-soaked clothes. Morro shook his head in the corner of her vision.

"I don't know. Kayson says that you gashed your arm on the rock there," he pointed to a bloodstained rock just above her head. "but the cut looked too smooth for that. More like a knife wound. Besides, it's in the exact same place that the gashes in the other's arms... are..." Morro trailed off and Indigo looked back at him. She saw him staring at his arm wordlessly. He held up his arm so she could see it, and she saw a thin line on his arm, slightly darker than his skin.

"Is that a _cut_?" Indigo asked in shock. When he nodded, she continued. "How can you have a cut!? You're a ghost! Ghosts can't get cut?"

"I-I don't know." Morro's voice shook slightly, caught of guard by his discovery. At that moment, Lloyd stirred beside them, waking up. He sat up, stretched, and opened his eyes before noticing the blood everywhere.

"Whoa!" he reflexively jerked away, hitting his head on the rock wall. "...ow. What happened?" he asked, rubbing his head with his non-bloody hand.

"Something cut me while I was asleep and Kayson thinks it was a rock but Morro thinks it was a knife and Morro as a cut on his arm even though ghosts can't get cut!" Indigo said in a rush. "And my head hurts." she added a moment later. Lloyd blinked.

"What?"

"Morro and I got cut." Indigo said again. Lloyd turned to Morro.

"How?" Lloyd asked, starting to touch Morro's arm but quickly yanking his hand back when he realized it had blood on it. "Does it hurt?"

"...no." Morro replied after a moment, looking up and meeting Lloyd's eyes. "It's just like the rest of yours." Indigo glanced at the healing scratch on Lloyd's arm and, sure enough, it matched Morro's perfectly.

"The one on my arm must be just like that too..." she murmured in a low tone. "Someone's doing this, but who?"

"Tara." Morro said without hesitation. "She's behind this, I can tell. Besides, she hates you the most, Indigo. That's why you have a deep gash instead of a light scratch."

"You're right." Indigo realized. "It has to be her. Although, the only reason she hates me so much is because I was _trying_ to get her to hate me, so she would go after me and try to kill me. Which is another reason why being bait stinks." she groaned and closed her eyes.

"Sorry." she heard Lloyd say. "Speaking of which, if we're going to catch her, you're going to have to be bait again."

"What?! Really?" Indigo opened her eyes and glared at the green ninja.

"Even if we don't set you up, she'll probably come after you anyway." Morro pointed out.

"Right. But, why didn't she just kill me while I was asleep? I mean, I didn't even wake up when she cut my arm open." she shifted her arm subconsciously.

"True. Why didn't she kill _any_ of us? I thought she was a crazy murderer." Lloyd frowned. The three were silent for a moment.

"...maybe she's... not as evil as we thought?" Indigo shrugged, then winced at the abrupt pain in her arm. "I mean, is there any other explanation?"

"Not really." Lloyd agreed. "So... what is Tara even doing here? Didn't Ming say she left?"

"Maybe they're working together." Morro said.

"I doubt it." Lloyd shook his head. "She seems too innocent for that."

"But, back in the mountain, when Indigo fell, Ming was the one who suggested that we cross like that in the first place." said Morro.

"Yes, but I volunteered." Indigo said. "And after I woke up Ming just kept apologizing to me over and over again."

"Still, we should keep an eye on her." Lloyd said slowly. "I don't want this to happen to anyone else." He then turned back to Morro, once again investigating the cut. "She must've used a Deepstone blade..." he muttered, shuddering as he was reminded of a dream he had experienced recently. "Ghosts can't die in the Cursed Realm, so apparently they can get hurt. Well, I'm not sure. You said it didn't hurt, right?"

"It doesn't, but I know I can feel pain because I was woken up by Indigo's blood burning me." Morro frowned at the memory. Indigo's eyes widened.

"I hurt you? I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" she apologized, worried.

"It's alright. It wasn't your fault, it was Tara's." he said comfortingly. She gave him a small smile in return. "It doesn't hurt any more." he continued, glancing down at his side. Lloyd looked at it and winced.

"I should probably get everyone up." the Green Ninja said after a moment. "Indigo, can you walk?"

"I can't turn my head without getting dizzy, so, no." she replied.

"Alright. Morro, how do you feel?"

"I'm fine. I can carry her." was the ghost's short reply.

"Okay." Lloyd said, and, after hesitating a few more seconds, turned around and left to wake the rest of the party.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

After everyone else was awake and had eaten a delicious breakfast of strawberries fried in sesame oil and milkshake, the question arose of what to do with all the blood. Lloyd had changed into a different shirt, since his old one was stained red, and Nya had helped Indigo change into some of Nya's spare clothes, since Indigo's were completely ruined and she didn't have any others. The blood on the floor of the cave was a problem for multiple reasons, though, because not only would it alert any ghosts that humans had been there, but Jessica, upon seeing it, had promptly fainted into Lloyd's arms. As Ming tried to coax Jessica back to the land of the living, Nya used her water powers to sweep the blood out of the cave and off the mountain path, into what appeared to be a jungle far below. Kai then turned the rest of the water (as well as any leftover blood) into steam by blasting it with a stream of fire. Soon after, Jessica had woken up but was still weak from her extreme fear of blood, so Lloyd consented to carry her. As they packed their provisions and left, none of them noticed a girl with a hood and a boy with snow-white hair watching them from on top of a cliff.

* * *

 **Hey. Still Lloyd. FFF is working hard on something about temperatures... Fahrenheit 555 or something. Anyway, Kai and I wanted to say that if anyone had any questions they wanted to ask us about anything, just ask in a review and we'll try to get back to you by the next chapter.**

 **Hello! It's FFF, and I'm back. I was actually working on Fahrenheit 451, which is a dystopian story about a guy who sets things on fire. I'm writing a report on it. Anyway. Too much blood? I didn't think it was really bad, and no one mentioned it on the last chapter, sooo... yeah. Tara and Alex will get more screentime next chapter. Well, feel free to ask Lloyd and Kai questions, though I think they might be up to something... well, sayonara!**

 **~FFF**


	29. Foiled Plans

**FFF: Greetings everyone! The last chapter got... one review. Cough. Everyone busy with school? Anyway, since Lloyd, Kai, and I will be sharing this author's note, we're just going to do the "name:" thing. K? K.  
Lloyd: Hi everyone! Kai and I here to answer Breana's questions she asked in her last review. Kai, you wanna start?  
Kai: Sure. Okay, so, Breana's first question was "what is it like being ninjas?" Well, it's really cool.  
Lloyd: It's pretty cool.  
Kai: Realy cool.  
Lloyd: Except when we get swarmed by crazy fangirls.  
Kai: Oh yeah. Especially us two, because your thqe green ninja and I have awesome hair.  
Lloyd: ****_You?_** **Your hair looks like a train wreck!  
FFF: Guys? Focus?  
Lloyd: Right. Anyway, being ninja is nice. We get to smash bad guys and do spinjitzu, and... wait, didn't I do an internal monolog about this in chapter one?  
Kai: Oh yeah. Well, you can read that for more info about his opinion. I think that the only time being a ninja ISN'T awesome is when we (a. get attacked by crazy fangirls and (b. get smashed by bad guys, like Morro.  
Lloyd: Morro's not evil any more.  
Kai: Yeah, yeah, whatevr.  
FFF: Kai, use proper spelling.  
Kai: Why?  
Lloyd: ANYWAY, the next question, "What's it like at Darkley's school for bad boys?" Well, when I was there, it stunk. Especially since I wasn't really that evil, so the other boys were mean to me a lot. Now... uh... I think it got wrecked. I'm not really sure what happened to it.  
Kai: And the last questons are, "What's it like being the master of fire? Have you ever burn yourself with your fire powers?" Fire is totally the best element.  
Lloyd: It is _not!  
_ Kai: Yes it is. Fire is awesome. I can set things on fire (duh), melt things, even _fly_ a little, by using my hands like rockets. It's super awesome. And... admittedly, yes, I have burned myself. But I was distracted! I did once when Cole was dancing, and other while I was showing off my fire pwers to Skylor...  
Lloyd: Umm... Kai's staring off into space. Guess I should finish this up. Anyway, that's all the questions, there's just one review for FFF for answer before we start the chapter.**

 **Review reply:**

 **Angel: As much as Tara deserves it, that sounds like bullying to me and I hate bullying. :c But you DID just remind me of a one shot idea I had (and forgot, but now I remember it)! :D Thanks! Indigo thanks you for the energy and Daggerclaws is happily playing with his cat toy. Soul Archer is grumpy now and Bansha is cackling madly.**

* * *

Chapter 28

Tara and Alex lay on their stomachs on top of a cliff, watching the adventurers as they exited their camp.

"Strange." Alex spoke up quietly. "They do not look like criminals."

"They work undercover." Tara replied. "I mean, they don't want to get arrested or anything."

"Those two girls, the ones being carried," Alex gestured to Indigo and Jessica, who were being carried by Morro and Lloyd, respectively. "Are either of them your friend, Ming?

"No. Ming is there, in the brown dress." Tara pointed to the young girl, who was having a friendly chat with Nya.

"Why is she talking to her captors like that so calmly?" Alex asked with a frown. "I would think she would be scared of them."

"Maybe... uh..." Tara thought fast for an excuse. "Maybe she's trying to befriend them, so that it'll be easier for her to escape." she said with a (slightly nervous) grin. "Come on, we should follow them." the two stood up and began making their way across the rocks so they could get a better view of the adventurers

"They're strange criminals." Alex remarked. "Most criminals I've met wouldn't carry a team member, just leave them behind. Why _are_ they being carried, anyway?" he turned towards Tara expectantly. "You've been spying on them, right?"

"Um, yeah. You've met criminals?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes. Don't avoid the question."

"Right. Um, one of them was injured, and I don't know about the other." Tara said quickly. Alex gave her an odd look before starting to climb down a rock face.

"Come on. We're going to lose them." he said, not bothering to see if she had followed.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"We have to attack." Alex said firmly.

"No! It's a bad idea!" Tara argued. "Like I said, there's too many of them. We should wait for a chance to sneak in instead." The two had followed the Ninja and Co. off the mountain and had been following them along a road for a few hours before they stopped and made camp.

"This is the perfect time." Alex insisted. "They have no cover,"

"Neither do we..." Tara muttered.

"most of them are asleep," Alex continued,

"The wake up fast."

"We have the obvious advantage!"

"How?! There are four of them to every one of us and almost _all_ of them are elemental masters!"

"There will always be more of them than us, unless we lure them away and kill them one by one! And if they're really as evil as you say, we shouldn't sneak in and out like cowards, we should fight, and get rid of them!" Tara mentally groaned. Maybe she had overdone the whole "evil morons" thing. "Now be quiet and get your weapons, we're going in." Alex said, pulling his flute case off his back and starting to unbuckle it. Tara raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"You fight with a flute?" she asked.

"The serpentine wars were won with flutes." he replied. "You'll want these." he handed her a pair of earplugs, which she stuck in her ears.

"Whatever." Tara pulled her whip off her belt and uncoiled it. Alex took out his flute, set the case back on the ground, then walked out from behind the rock they had taken shelter behind towards Lloyd and Nya, who were sitting at the edge of the camp. Tara snuck into the shadow of another large rock, this one closer to the camp.

"Hey, who are you?" she heard Lloyd ask. She glanced around the rock to see Alex ignore his question and starting to play a tune, which Tara fortunately couldn't hear, as Lloyd instantly stumbled back and tripped, falling backwards on the ground next to Nya and covering his ears. A moment later, he spotted Tara and his eyes widened.

"It's Tara!" she barely heard him yell. "Wake up, everyone!" as the rest of the party woke up, Alex played faster, stepping into the camp slowly. Nya threw a rock at him and it bounced off his flute, interrupting the song and breaking the spell. Tara approached the camp as Alex whipped out the staff she had seen earlier, holding it in front of him in a defensive position.

"I'll distract them!" he yelled as Tara popped the earplugs out of her ears. "You go get your friend!" he blocked a hit from one of the ninja as Tara started to sneak around the outside of the camp.

"Ignore him! Tara's more dangerous!" Kai pointed at her, ruining her cover as all the fighters, which was everyone except for Indigo.

"Alex? Little help?" she yelled, backing away from the approaching enemies.

"I'm working on it!" he yelled back, taking one end of his staff and clocking Jay over the head with it, knocking him out and causing him to flop to the ground.

"Never mind, he's dangerous too." Kai realized, spinning around to face the blue-clothed musician.

"Cole, Kai, Nya, take care of the music guy! Don't let him get his flute back!" Lloyd yelled, taking charge. "Kayson, Ming, take care of Indigo! Everyone else, get Tara!" Tara abandoned her hopes of being able to sneak past as Morro smashed her into a rock with a gust of wind. In the meantime, Alex was dodging a barrage of fireballs from Kai and trying to get back to his instrument, but failing due to the shaking of the ground caused by Cole.

"This isn't gonna work!" Tara yelled as Alex was knocked over. "Ming! Let's get out of here!" Ming turned to her, confused, but ran towards her.

"Wh- _Ming?_ " Kai turned to her in shock. Alex took the opportunity to knock him out with a smack from his staff, only to be knocked over again by Cole.

"Take Ming and go!" Alex yelled, blocking a sword strike from Nya. "I'll catch up!"

"C'mon!" Tara grabbed Ming's hand and they fled into the darkness, dodging a final attack from Lloyd and vanishing from the ninja's view.

"Darn it! Why do we always lose to her?!" the two heard Lloyd yell as they ducked behind a rock. Ming then turned to Tara, putting her hands on her hips.

"Alright, what was that all about?" she asked. "I thought I was supposed to stay with them."

"Well, that's a bit of a long story, and they're still looking for us, so get wait a few minutes for things to settle down. Then I'll tell you." Tara promised. Ming nodded and sat down against the rock, silent for the time being.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"I think it's alright to talk now." Tara said at length.

"Okay. Talk. What's going on? Who's the white-haired guy?" Ming asked, sounding annoyed.

"Well, I'll start at the beginning. I'm sure you've noticed those weird scratches on people's arms?" Tara traced a line down her arm to illustrate.

"Yeah..." Ming nodded slowly.

"Well, I'm collecting people's powers. Y'know, just in case something goes wrong." Tara explained. Ming's eyes widened.

"So last night when Indigo was bleeding like crazy and wouldn't wake up and almost died, that was _your_ fault?" she asked accusingly.

"Um... yeah, I guess." Tara shifted her weight from one foot to the other awkwardly. Ming facepalmed.

"You said you wouldn't kill my friends!"

"I didn't! I just got close! See, I put a dream spell on her so she wouldn't wake up and I wasn't really bothering to be gentle since I knew she wouldn't wake up and I kinda really hate her because she's annoying, and..." Tara trailed off at Ming's blank stare.

"Tara, I know your life is kinda messed up, but you can't just make excuses for what you've done." Ming's eyes softened. "Can you PLEASE try to get along with her? I mean, I know she was annoying you, but that's no excuse to kill her! I had lots of friends back in Limong and some of them annoyed me, but I just had to deal with it. And by that, I mean I didn't kill them."

"Yeah, I know, you're right." Tara sighed. "It's just how I was raised."

"Clouse taught you to kill annoying people?" Ming frowned. "Are you _sure_ we should be rescuing him?"

"Positive."

"Whatever. What's the deal with the music guy?" Ming asked, peeking around the rock to look at him. "Oh, the ninja got him."

"They did?" Tara looking around the other side of the rock to see that, sure enough, Alex had his weapons taken away from his and was tied up securely. Kai appeared to be either interrogating him, or just yelling at him for knocking him out. "Oh great. Um, so, I learned that he was the Elemental Master of Music, and I needed to get his powers for the crystal, and so I told him that I was tracking some criminals, them, and I was trying to rescue my friend, you. So I asked him to help me and he agreed, but I was really planning to just take his powers and convince him not to attack until I'd rescued Clouse, then ditch him. Ah..." Tara frowned. "The ninja won't hurt him, will they?"

"Nah, but they'll probably tell him the truth." Ming replied with a shrug. "I can't really go back now, can I? They saw me go you willingly."

"Yeah, you're right..." Tara mused.

"And what if we get attacked by ghosts? We don't have any elemental powers to protect ourselves." MIng shuddered at the thought.

"Actually..." Tara pulled the brightly-colored crystal out of her satchel. "We have plenty."

* * *

 **FFF: Gosh, Tara actually cares about Alex's well being? TRUE LOVE CONFIRMED!**

 **Kai: Uh, no.**

 **FFF: You're right, I was just kidding. At least Alex is suspicious of her now, and he'll probably be on the ninja's side soon. Key word: probably. Okay, what was I gonna say... ah...**

 **Lloyd: Ask us questions.**

 **FFF: Right! And review! Bye!**

 **~FFF**


	30. Interrogation

**Hello everyone! FFF here. Lloyd and the other ninja are, unfortunately, not available today. They're off on a mission or something (they never tell me anything). They might be back by the time I'm done writing this chapter, though, and if they are I'll have them answer Angel's questions in the A/N at the bottom.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **Kairocksrainbow: What part is creepy? The blood everywhere? I'm glad it didn't bother you. :) Cookies! *eats them* And that, Jay, is why you should never steal Sensei's tea. You should probably go break them up... hopefully Kai is back in time to answer your question.**

 **Angel: Yeah, Ming thought it was about time Tara had some sense knocked into her head. Ming thanks you for the chocolates. :D I'll ask Lloyd when he gets back... I was actually already planning to put you in another weird dream... but it won't necessarily be Jay's... *evil grin***

 **Breana: Apples? What do you mean?**

 **Sally: It'll be a little while, the Cursed Realm is a big place. As big as Ninjago. They'll get across as fast as they can, though.**

 **TheFlamingShogun: You're a star, huh? Cool! Even stars like my fanfic. :D**

 **Wow, that A/N wasn't very long. And Windy, when you read this, I'm working on your one-shot request. :)**

* * *

Chapter 29

In the middle of the criminals' camp, Alex sat in front of a green-tinted fire. His wrists and ankles were bound tightly, keeping him from escaping. As he stared into the flames, he listened carefully to the conversations of the people around him, trying to get information out of the strange outlaws.

"I keep trying and trying, but I can't get him to say anything!" the hotheaded one with fire powers complained to a boy in green.

"That's because you weren't _asking_ him anything, you were just flaming about how he knocked you out." the green-clothed boy replied, folding his arms.

"Ha! Get it, Kai? Flaming!" a red-haired boy in blue chortled. The fire one- Kai? Or was the one in green Kai? The fire one frowned.

"Yeah, yeah. Look, he stormed our camp. He knocked Jay and I out. He's working with _Tara_. I think I'm entitled to yell at him."

"Just... let me try." the green one walked over and sat down next to the fire, watching Alex. Obligingly, Alex lifted his head and met the boy's eyes. "Hey." the boy said. "I'm Lloyd. Who are you?"

"...Alex." Alex replied after a few moments. "My name's Alex."

"See, Kai? I told you Lloyd could do a better job!" the redhead taunted.

"Actually, you didn't." Kai responded as Lloyd shot them both an annoyed look.

"Why did you attack our camp?" Lloyd asked, turning back to Alex. When he didn't answer, Lloyd tried a different question. "How did you hurt us with your music? Is the flute magical?" Alex didn't see any harm in answering this question, so he did.

"I am the Elemental Master of Music. The flute is... precious, but not magical."

"Precious, huh?" a ghost with short, black hair snatched up the flute and held it over the fire. "Talk! Why are you working with Tara?"

" _Cole_!" a girl with short, black hair and a red outfit grabbed the flute away from him. "That's just mean!"

"Uh, yeah!" the redhead agreed quickly, though he had been grinning along with Cole. The black-haired girl rolled her eyes at them and set the flute down next to Lloyd. Alex twisted his wrists slightly, loosening the ropes that bound them bit by bit.

"What is your connection to Tara?" the robot man asked. Alex was silent and stared at the flames.

"We could try threatening him." Kai suggested.

"Kai, we're _Ninja_. We're the good guys. We don't do threatening." Lloyd glared at the fire master. Alex was confused, but he kept his face passive. Ninja? Good guys? This was getting interesting.

"Okay. We can have Jessica do it." Kai gestured to the brunette girl who was scribbling something on a piece of paper, who looked up when Kai said her name.

" _No_ , Kai!" Lloyd groaned. "Look, for all we know, Tara tricked him into doing this. Just give him the benefit of the doubt."

"What do you know about Tara?" Alex spoke up, trying to stall them as he worked his wrists free. "If you're right, and she did trick me, then I wand to know more about her."

"Okay." Lloyd said, looking down at the ground as he concentrated. "Um, let's see. Well, we met her on the way here and soon figured out that she was trying to kill us in our sleep. We set up a trap and caught her in the act but she fled, taking Ming with her as a hostage. She later, apparently, let Ming go, but I guess Ming was just spying on us for her or something, since she ran off with her tonight." he looked up at Alex. "What did she tell you?"

"She told me that you were a group of criminals who had kidnapped Ming, and she needed my help to rescue her." Alex's wrist bonds were loose enough for him to slip free, now. He slowly shifted his hands down to the rope on his ankles, keeping his gaze focused on Lloyd.

"Ugh, typical Tara!" a female voice spoke up angrily. Alex looked around the camp for a few moments before locating the speaker, a black-haired girl who was lying on a bedroll. "Tara is _not_ a hero, she's a total jerkface and a liar! She's tried to kill me three times now! You can't trust anything she says, 'cause it's a lie!" the girl hissed angrily. Well, she certainly wasn't lying. Either that, or she was a very good actor.

"Indigo's right." the ghost with the wind powers spoke up from where he was sitting next to the g- Indigo. "Tara only cares about getting what she wants. She's heartless." Alex picked the final knot, and his ankles were loose. He stayed for a few moments longer, though, so he could hear more about what they thought about the woman he was helping.

"She doesn't really seem evil." he mused quietly, continuing to play along. "But she has been acting strangely, stuttering a lot and taking a long time to answer my questions."

"I just can't wait until we finally catch her." Indigo grumbled. "I have some choice words for her." she tried to sit up, but winced and fell back down. "See?! That's why I hate her so much! I can't even sit up because of this injury she gave me!" Alex considered this as the ghost boy helped her sit upright. Could Tara really be evil? The ninja and their friends seemed honest, and he really didn't know who to believe. He should leave, he'd been here long enough.

"Tara really-" he broke off in the middle of his sentence and yanked his wrists out of their bonds, jumping to his feet and kicking off his ankle bonds as he tossed the ropes away. Before the ninja could react, he snatched up his flute and began playing a harsh tune as fast as he could, causing them to shy away from him and cover their ears. Alex grabbed his staff and sprinted out of camp, dodging a weak fireball that followed.

"Don't believe us, huh?" Cole yelled after him angrily. "Well, if you end up with a scratch on your arm, then you'll know!" Alex paused once he was far enough away to be hidden by the mist, and looked at his arms. A scratch? What was that about? He thought about it, though, as he started trying to find Tara. He would have to keep an eye on that girl.

* * *

 **Huh. Well. That was a pretty short chapter.**

 **Well, the ninja are back, and here to answer your questions!**

 **Kai: Hey!  
Lloyd: Hi!  
Kai: I'll answer Kairocksrainbow's queston first cause I'm in her name. My hair is actualy just naturally like this!  
Lloyd: No it's not! If it is, what do you do in the bathroom for an hour every morning?  
Kai: Uh... brushing my teeth?  
Lloyd: Right. So, Angel's question. Um... I don't know. Probably, because he's one of my best friends.  
Kai: "One"?  
Lloyd: Yes, one! Cole, Jay, Zane, Nya, Morro, they're all my best friends too!  
Kai: Oh yea... well. Guess that's all. Ask more questons next time!  
FFF: And review! And Kai, watch your spelling. We have spell checker for a reason.  
Kai: Yeah, yeah, yeah...  
FFF: Bye!  
**

 **~FFF**


	31. Emotions

**WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS ROMANCY FLUFF!** **Today's chapter is CHAPTER 30! *confetti falls* Or yesterday's, but technically chapter 6 1/2 doesn't count. It's also been exactly one month since I started, and it's been two weeks since the adventurers set off to rescue Garmadon. :D**

 **Review Replies:**

 **Angel: Gosh, that was sudden. One review you're dumping mud on Tara, and the next you're defending her. What happened there? Anyway. The ninja won't kill her. They're good guys. Now, say, Indigo or something... ya never know. *evil giggle* Yeah, Kai is kinda possessive of Lloyd. :/ Darn u Kai. Those two will answer your question at the end of the chapter. :)**

 **Breana: Ah, okay. ^ ^ Yeah, I think he's still kinda loyal to her. Poor guy. He'll figure it out soon enough, though.**

 **Kairocksrainbow: That's what I thought. I wasn't bothered at all my it, but that's because I wrote it, I guess. Stories with lots of blood usually bother me. :/ Kai says he's glad you like his hair and that he loves the hashtags. He says that he doesn't have enough fangirls- oh, now the other ninja are fighting with him. Where's Nya when you need her? *gets swept away by the chocolate storm* WHEEEEEEEEEE!**

 **Windy: Yay, you're back! I have your one-shot completely written out on paper, I just need to type it into the computer. ;) Yeah, surgery stinks. -.- It was weird not being able to feel my arm for a day afterward. Like a ghost arm. O.O How about a chainsaw? Those are popular. :D She's not really a snake, just very snakelike. Like Pythor. Jay Day? When's Lloyd's day? I knew you would like him carrying Jessica. ;D Kai and Lloyd will answer your questions at the bottom. :) I love that song, and yes, that guy does sound like Kai. I really like Monster too, since I saw that Morro video. ^ ^**

 **I'm not sure if I'll be able to post on Saturday, because I'm going to a festival at my church. :D I'll try to get a short one in, at least. I might not be able to get one in tomorrow either, but I probably will.**

 **Wow, sort-of short A/N.**

* * *

Chapter 30

Morro lay on his side on his bedroll, staring into space as he tried to go to sleep. It had been almost a day since Alex escaped, and almost nothing of intrest had happened over the past day. All they had done was walk, eat, and watch out for Tara and her team. Well, somethinig had apparently happened before he had woken up, but it wasn't important. As he lay there, Morro realized that it had been exactly two weeks since they had left on this adventure. Two weeks ago, right now, he had been meeting Indigo. He rolled over on his other side to face the Master of Void, who appeared to be asleep, her back facing him and a small blanket covering her. She had been through too much over the past few days, getting stabbed and injured and falling off cliffs. It was almost miraculous that she had survived it all. As he watched her, Morro saw Daggerclaws sitting straight up next to her, his dark green eyes gleaming in the pale starlight, determined to protect his best friend. Morro could relate. He felt almost exactly the same way, for Lloyd. But Indigo was... different. He wanted to protect her, but there was an emotion that wasn't there for Lloyd. He couldn't identify it, though. It was just... when he talked to her, his head felt fuzzy, and when she was hurt, his heart felt clenched. He sighed quietly. Why did emotions have to be so difficult? The only feeling he could think of with symptoms like that was... love. Did he _love_ Indigo? Even if he did, he would have to keep it to himself, because she didn't seem to love him back. Just then, Indigo rolled over to face him, dark blue eyes open.

"Can't sleep either?" she whispered. He shook his head. "Wanna talk?"

"Sure." he replied quietly.

"Okay. We should go out of camp, so we don't wake anyone else up." she pushed the blanket off herself and lifted her hands in the air. "Come pick me up." Morro nodded as he got to his feet and walked the short distance to her bedroll, sliding his arms underneath her and lifting her up. He then walked away from camp, far enough away that they wouldn't bother the others, but close enough that if they were attacked they could call for help. Morro set her down before sitting down next to her, putting an arm around her to help her stay upright. She leaned against him and they sat there silently, looking at the stars through the mist in the sky for a few minutes before Morro spoke up.

"Indigo?"

"Hmm?" she hummed in response.

"What is swimming like?" he asked. Indigo frowned slightly as she considered it.

"It's... like flying, I guess. Well, I assume it is. The closest I've ever gotten to flying is in my dreams." she smiled. "It's really hard to describe. It's... like... I can only say it's like flying, through..." she frowned again. "Like... thick air. And when you're underwater, you can feel the water pressing down on you, like a hug." she giggled slightly at this. "But you have to go up eventually, because you run out of air." she turned her head towards him, a curious expression on her face. "Can you fly? With your wind powers?"

"I can." he replied. Her face lit up.

"Can you show me?" she asked excitedly. Morro nodded and he pulled his arm away from her, standing up. He clenched his hands into fists, summoning a gust of wind that caused him to rise into the air. Indigo watched, eyes wide. When he was about ten feet above her, he stopped, hovering in midair, and turned a slow circle. Indigo's face broke into a grin. "That's amazing! I wish I had wind powers!" she said in awe.

"You don't need them." Morro smiled and flicked his wrist, sending another gust of wind that lifted her up in the air. She gasped as she rose up next to him.

"I-I'm floating!" she said breathlessly, hovering next to him. "Thank you!" she said, beaming at him. His smile widened, a tingling feeling running through his body. Suddenly, the feeling was replaced by exaustion. Why was he so tired? Commanding the wind always wore him out eventually, but not this fast! Morro squeezed his eyes shut, trying to concentrate, and quickly lowered them towards the ground, his energy draining rapidly. He didn't make it down in time, though, as the wind abruptly stopped and they both crashed to the ground. Morro lay on the ground his his eyes closed for a few moments before opening them, too tired to try and get up.

"Ow." he heard Indigo say from next to him. "What just happened?" he was silent for a few moments as he caught his breath before replying.

"I don't... know. My powers were... taking way too much energy... to use. I ran out of energy before... I could get us back to the ground." he struggled into a sitting position, looking at her suspiciously. "You weren't using your powers on me, were you?"

"Nope. I have to be touching you." she slowly sat up. "At least now I don't notice the pain in my arm as much."

"Why is that?" he asked.

"Because my head hurts way more." she winced. "Anyway, what do you mean by taking too much energy?"

"Lifting two people, me and you, shouldn't be a strain at all. I can pick up a _house_ without that much effort. But picking us up tired me out almost immidiently, causing us to fall." he started to stand, struggling due to his exaustion. "We need to tell the others about this..."

"At least rest a bit." Indigo grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "A few more minutes isn't going to make a difference, right?" she pushed him towards the ground and he complied, lying down next to her. "Just wait a minute." she murmured. Morro nodded tiredly, though she probably didn't see it, and stared up at the stars. He willed himself to stay awake, but his eyes began to close of their own accord and soon he was fast asleep.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Indigo lay on the ground next to Morro, resting her cheek against his hand. She heard his breathing slow, relaxing until it was normal again. She turned her head towards him, about to tell him that they could go back to camp, only to realize that he was asleep. She smiled and rolled her eyes at herself. Silly her. He had just been telling her about how tired he was from picking them up, of course he would go to sleep. She wouldn't wake him up, though. He needed the rest. As she snuggled up against his hand, she had a thought. How was she touching him? People went through ghosts, right? She poked his side experimentally, and touched him just like a normal person. Weird. She knew that ghosts could touch people/things if they concentrated, but he was asleep. Plus, a she had grabbed his arm just a minute ago, and it wasn't likely that he had made his arm solid so she could do that. Maybe she could ask him about it when he woke up. Indigo shifted closer to him, sighing happily. She really liked Morro. She didn't know much about his past, something about being evil and then turning good, but she didn't care. He was so nice, and sweet, and caring, and handsome, and so protective of her. Lloyd too. She thought that his and Lloyd's friendship was amazing, especially since they apparently used to be bitter enemies. Besides, Morro was strong enough to protect her. Indigo had always wanted someone to take care of here. Even Cora, her "sister", had only taken care of her until she was about five, and apparently old enough to take care of herself. And Daggerclaws, he was more of a sibling than a caretaker. She and him protected each other. Indigo was tired of fending for herself. She wanted someone to fend for her, like Morro. Smiling once more, she closed her eyes and slipped into unconsciousness. Mere feet away from her, a tall ghost slid an arrow into his bow and took aim...

* * *

 **Oh well. They're doomed. Nyahahahahaaa... anyone wanna guess who that is?**

 **Yes, of course, the moment their relationship takes off they get attacked by ghosts. While they're asleep, no less. Evil? Me?**

 **FFF: Alright, question time!  
Kai: Hi there!  
Lloyd: Hi!  
Kai: Alright, the first queston is for meee... and it is from Angel Star Ninja. ****"if Lloyd started dating a "Bad Girl" and she broke his heart by cheating on him how would you react?" I would find that girl and pound her into a wall.  
Lloyd: ...thanks, I guess. Heh. Anyway. The next question is also from Angel Star Ninja, and it is, "if your Element wasn't Energy what element would you want to have?" I don't know, really. Never really thought about it. Either wind or invisibility.  
FFF: I think that's actually light."  
Lloyd: Or light, whatever. There's another question for me, from Windy-  
FFF: Who's awesome, by the way.  
Lloyd: Yeah. Her question is, "When Tara cast her spell to put you into a deep sleep with a good dream, what did you dream about?" It was weird. I dreamed I was sitting on a green hill on a sunny day and Jessica was fangirling over me. It was really nice, though.  
Kai: Why do you get to dream about fangirls?  
Lloyd: Magic spell. And to answer Windy's other question, yes, Kai does sing Karaoke.  
Kai: I told you to nevr tell anyon about tht!"  
FFF: SPELLING!  
Lloyd: She asked.  
FFF: Well, I think that's all the questions for today! Bye!  
All the Ninja: Bye!**

 **~FFF**

 **P.S. God's not dead!**


	32. Revelations

**FLUFF WARNING!**

 **Jump up kick back whip around and spin! And then we'll jump back do it again, Ninja GO! Ninja GO! Come on, come on, come on, and do the weekend whip! Alright, now that we're done with that... hi everyone! Hope you like this chapter!**

 **Review repliezz:**

 **TheFlamingShogun: O.O Cool! Thanks! And yes, Kai is played by Vincent Tong. While I was looking that up I also saw that Lloyd is voiced by a girl. LOL**

 **iluvninjagoTNSBFWgirl: Good guess. That's who it is, all right.**

 **AwsomeDisneyWolfChild: Yush. Cliffhangers. Thanks so much! I'm so glad you like me and my story. :D**

 **Angel: Ah, okay. No worries, I won't kill you. I'll write some more platonic fluff sometime for you. ^ ^ Yep. Soul Archer. Nasty little felleh. Better keep those knives handy. I'll have Indigo answer your question at the end with the others. ;D**

 **Sally: Not sure, really. In a few chapters. They have to deal with all those ghosts first. Writing a fanfiction is hard work, y'know.**

 **Kairocksrainbow: Kai is happy to have you as his fangirl, although now he's mad at me for telling Cole to kick him. xD Daggerclaws' attitude is hilarious. I just love your short stories. ^ ^ I better go rescue Lloyd from Kai now...**

 **Bob: I'm glad you like Daggerclaws so much! And yep, Kai's great at singing. He just doesn't like people to hear him. Uh oh, it's tipping! *almost gets squashed by giant cookie***

 **Windy: Flying is the awesomest thing ever. Trust me. I once had a series of dreams scattered over about a month or so where I could fly in each one, and I slowly got better at flying as the dreams went on. It was super cool. I'm so glad you liked the fluff! :D Ninjago videos with Skillet songs are the best. I totally ship LloydXJessica now. ^ ^ Y'know, that guy in the video, Vincent Tong, he's Kai's voice actor. O.O No wonder he sounds like him. xD I'm good at Simon Says too! Sort of. Well, better than my siblings, but most of them are younger than me, sooo... I would face off against you if I could. We can have Lloyd be simon. :D**

 **And SilverKunochi, when you read this, I have a plan for when Gin will show up. It'll be a few chapters from now.**

 **Another long A/N... meh. Whatever. LE CHAPTER AWAITS!**

* * *

Chapter 31

Alex slumped against a rock and sighed. He had been searching for Tara and Ming for over 24 hours now, and had yet to find any trace of them. He was starting to wonder if they they had simply gone back to Ninjago without him. He hoped not. He pulled a canteen of water off his belt and took a long drink.

"Took you long enough!" Alex choked on the water and began coughing violently at the familiar, yet startling, voice. When he opened his watering eyes, he saw Tara's gold-brown eyes looking back at him. "Sorry! Didn't mean to startle you!"

"That's-" he coughed again. "That's okay." he looked up to see Ming standing next to the taller girl.

"You escaped the Ninja! That's good!" Tara said brightly, grabbing his hand and pulling him to his feet.

"Ninja?" Alex frowned, tilting his head at her. "I thought they were criminals."

"Uh... right. Yeah, that's just what they call their little, um, group. The Ninja." Tara chuckled weakly.

"Right." Alex got to his feet. "So, are you taking Ming back to Ninjago now?"

"Well, actually..." Tara trailed off for a moment. "I was kinda hoping that you could help me rescue another friend of mine. His name's Clouse, he raised me, so he's like a father to me. He was banished here for some reason, I don't know why."

"I... suppose I could help you." Alex said thoughtfully. "It's not like I really have anything better to do anyway. Where is he trapped?"

"That's the problem, I don't exactly know." Tara shrugged. "But the Ninja are going to the same place, to rescue some other guy, one of them's father, I think. So we have to follow them." Alex nodded.

"Alright. Let's go locate the Ninja's camp, then we can get some sleep." Alex after recalling which way to go, started off in the direction of the Ninja's camp.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Indigo woke up in a cold dark room. Her head ached terribly, and when she lifted her hand to it she could feel a large bump on her forehead. Where was she? What happened? She sat up, head spinning, and glanced around the room she was in, able to locate a chair, a barred window, and a door with another barred window in it. Everything was gray with a pale green tint, like ghostly stone, which, now that she thought about it, it probably was. She struggled to her feet and made her way over to the door, grabbing the bars to hold herself steady and looking out. Outside the window was a long corridor, with more doors with barred windows along it as far as she could see. As she watched, a ghost in a straw hat walked down the corridor, wielding a spear. She let go of the bars and stepped backwards away from the door, stumbling slightly. How did she get here? More importantly, where was Morro? He might just be in a different cell, but he might be off somewhere fighting ghosts or something. On the other hand, he could've escaped and was now rallying the others to come rescue her. She smiled at this thought for a moment before shivering and hugging her arms to herself. She hated this place. It was dark and cold and creepy, and the only other people nearby were the guards and the other prisoners, if there were any of those. None of her friends were nearby to comfort her. For the first time in her life, she was completely alone.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"Meow!" Lloyd frowned in his sleep at the high-pitched sound next to his ear. He rolled over and tried to ignore it, but it came again, "Meow!" this time accompanied by a swipe to his arm. Lloyd winced at the pain and opened his eyes, blinking in the dim light of dawn. Daggerclaws was sitting next to him, glaring at him and mewing incessantly.

"Okay, I get it, I'm up..." Lloyd mumbled, stretching his arms above his head as he sat up. He examined his arm where the cat had scratched him, finding a rip in his shirt and a tiny scratch underneath. "Great. What's up with you, anyway?" Daggerclaws responded by walking over to two empty bedrolls, side by side and stared back at Lloyd impatiently. Lloyd glanced around the camp, doing a mental roll call, before figuring out that it was Morro and Indigo who were missing. "Okay. Where are they?" he asked Daggerclaws, who started walking out of camp. Lloyd hopped to his feet and followed him to a small hill. The grass on top of the hill was flattened slightly, but there was no sign of either Morro or Indigo. "Well?" Lloyd was confused as to why the cat had brought him here, since there didn't seem to be anything here. Daggerclaws glared at him and meowed, before dipping his head and nudging something in the grass with his nose, which Lloyd bent down and picked up. It was a long, grey-green arrow.

"An... arrow?" the green ninja mused. Then his eyes widened as a memory surfaced.

 _"Then let my arrow guide you... and point the way." Soul Archer took an arrow from the quiver on his back and pulled it into his bow, a Skreemer materializing on the end as he shot. The arrow flew through the night air and embedded itself in a billboard in the floating village of Stiix._

"Soul Archer..." Lloyd realized. "I need to tell the others!" the blond-haired boy turned and sprinted back to camp.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Indigo was roused from her light sleep by the sound of her cell door opening. As she lifted her head to see what was going on, Morro was shoved in and the door slammed behind him. Indigo scrambled to her feet and dashed over to him.

"Morro! Are you okay?" she asked, wobbling a bit due to her multiple injuries.

"I'm fine. Are you?" he took of her shoulders to steady her.

"Yeah." she nodded. "Why are we locked up?" she asked a moment later.

"Most ghosts don't like humans." he replied. "You're locked up for being one and I'm locked up for 'being a traitor'."

"Why don't ghosts like humans? Weren't all ghosts originally humans?" she asked with a frown.

"Yes, but most were cursed by humans as well, and that's how they got here. Occasionally one gets cursed by another ghost, but that's rare. So most ghosts have a hatred of all humans because of that."

"Oh." Indigo pulled away from Morro and sat down against a wall. He sat down next to her. "I hate it here." she remarked. Morro slid his arm around her shoulders and she smiled. "At least they put us in the same cell. What were you doing before they put you in here?"

"Being interrogated." he replied. "Soul Archer wanted to know what I was doing there with you. I guess he didn't find Lloyd and the others, which is good. I told him I was taking my girlfriend on a tour of my home." he smiled and she giggled.

"Did he believe you?" she asked.

"Probably not." he replied, still smiling. "Though, like you said, at least he had the decency to put me in here with you."

"Yeah..." Indigo closed her eyes and snuggled up to him. "When do you think they'll let us out?" she asked after a minute.

"I don't know. It could be months." she shuddered at his response.

"Ugh. Do you think we can escape?"

"Not likely, especially with you injured."

"Do you think the others will rescue us?"

"I'm sure they'll try. Don't worry, we'll get out of here eventually. Trust me." Morro assured her. She nodded and the room was filled with a calming silence..

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Alex blinked his eyes in the morning light as he woke up. As his mind slowly cleared away the fuzziness of sleep, he sat up with a yawn. Time for another day of tracking the Ninja. He wondered, how much food did they have left? Hopefully it was enough to last the rest of- Alex thoughts vanished as he spotted a light red line on his forearm. He lifted his arm closer to his head, staring at the scratch. As he examined it, he remembered seeing identical scratches on the arms of the Ninja.

"Morning, Alex! Rise and shine!" Tara said cheerfully, walking over to him. Alex ignored her, a shout from one of the Ninja running through his mind.

 _"Don't believe us, huh?" Cole yelled after him angrily. "Well, if you end up with a scratch on your arm, then you'll know!"_

"Tara, where did I get this scratch?" he asked her, watching her reaction carefully. Her eyes widened and she opened and closed her mouth silently before regaining her composure and giving him an impassive smile.

"I don't know. Why?" she shrugged nonchalantly.

"You put it there, didn't you?" he asked in a low tone.

"N-no! Why would I do that?" she stuttered slightly.

"You did! Why?" he demanded.

"I-I..." she trailed off.

"The Ninja were right." Alex said bitterly. "You _are_ a liar." He jumped to his feet, grabbing his stuff. "I'm leaving!" and he stomped away from, annoyed with himself for being tricked so easily and angry with Tara for tricking him. He would go to the the Ninja's camp, and help them in their quest instead. With this thought in his mind, Alex strode firmly towards the Ninja's camp.

* * *

 **Woooooo... spooky. Alex finally got the right idea! Yay! But Morro and Indigo are in jail. :P**

 **FFF: Alright, chums! Time for daily question answering!  
Kai: Great! What are today's questions?  
FFF: You don't get any.  
Kai and Lloyd: What?!  
FFF: There was only one question, and it was for-  
Lloyd: Me?  
FFF: Indigo.  
Indigo: Hiiiii!  
Kai: Wh- HER?! Why does she get more questions than me?! She's an OC for ghost's sake!  
Indigo: So what?  
Kai: I'm so much more awesome!  
Indigo: Sad. Anyway, the question for me is, "do you ship Lloyd and Morro as friends like I do?" from Angel.  
Lloyd: Ship?  
Kai: As friends.  
Lloyd: Okaaay...  
Indigo: ...and the answer is, YES, I do ship Lloyd and Morro as friends.  
FFF: And so do I!  
Ming: Me too!  
Gin: So do I!  
Kai: Where are all these people coming from? And who the heck are you?!  
Gin: Me? Uh... *vanishes*  
FFF: I invited them.  
Indigo: By the way, Kai, I'm awesomer than you.  
Kai: You are _not_!  
Indigo: Yes I am!  
Morro: Yes she is!  
Kai: What are YOU doing here?!  
Morro: FFF invited me.  
Kai: OH NO SHE DIDN'T! *tackles Morro*  
Indigo: *drains Kai's energy*  
Kai: ACK! *shoots fire at her*  
** **FFF: ...and this is falling apart. Time to go!**

 **~FFF**

 **#God'sNotDead**


	33. Plans

****Hey everyone! Lloyd here! FFF is busy getting ready to go to a festival, so she wanted me to write this A/N for her. The others and I are going too, because apparently there will be cotton candy and popcorn and ice cream! Who would pass up a chance for ice cream? Anyway, here's the review replies FFF wrote earlier.****

 ** **Review Replies:****

 ** **Catiefurballgirl114: Soon, soon, soon... sometime soon. They have to rescue Morro and Indigo first, and that'll be a few chapters, and then they have to deal with Tara some more, and that's be a few chapters, and then they have to fall off a- I'm giving away the plot again, aren't I? Whoops.****

 ** **AwesomeDisneyWolfChild: Awesomazing? Cool! Made up words are awesom...azing. My favorite is ridonkulous. ^ ^****

 ** **Kairocksrainbow: Morro is now making a point of staying away from you. xD CHOCOLATE HURRICAAAAAAAAAAaaaaanneee... Morro saved me from it. ;D Sure! I'd be happy to put you in my mini stories! :D Poor Lloyd, getting attacked by the master of fire.****

 ** **Breana: *dances with you* BURN, TARA, BURN!****

 ** **Angel: Yeah, Soul Archer needs a lesson in manners. *evil grin* And Tara will shape up sometime soon. Sort of. Anyway, I shouldn't be giving away the plot. Ha.****

 ** **Windy: Lloydica is adorable. ^ ^ I won't officially pair them in this story, because I promised another person whose OC also loves Lloyd. I might be able to work around that, though. Plus, romance is hard to write. :P Anyway. Morro says that only Indigo can call him cute. Funny, when they first met they were at each other's throats. XD And now they're in love. 3 My dreams in incredibly realistic. I once had a series of dreams over a couple months where a/multiple cat(s) would come to out house and we'd adopt them. I really wanted a kitten then, and I was praying for one every night. In almost every dream, I would say to someone, "and this isn't even a dream!" and then I would wake up. So now I know that if a cat shows up, I'm dreaming. XD I'm not sure which I like better, The Skillet or The Fold. They both have awesomazing (AwesomeDisneyWolfChild made it up) music.  
^ ^ I love Simon says too, but its hard to play it with my nutso siblings. I have eight, three brothers and five sisters. I'm the second oldest. My siblings drive me nuts sometimes but I love them all. ^ ^ I wish I had a Ninjago shirt. The only ones they sell online are for three-year-olds. :P I wish I had a shirt like the one Lloyd was wearing while fighting Morro in Curse World: Part One. Hope you had fun at the corn maze. I've never been in one of those. I'd probably get lost too. XD Can't wait for your next review!****

 **FOR EVERYONE WHO ASKED QUESTIONS FOR THE CHARACTERS: Questions will be answered at the bottom! :D**

 **Okay, Lloyd again. FFF is almost ready, so she should be here at the question answering at the end of the chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 32

"Okay, so let's just think for a second." Cole said thoughtfully, turning the ghostly arrow in his hand. Lloyd had woken everyone up after discovering the arrow and filled them in on Morro and Indigo's disappearance. They had spent the last fifteen minutes trying to figure out what happened. "Morro and Indigo were here last night. And now they're gone. All we know is that, according to a _cat_ , they were up on a hill over there," Cole gestured to the east. "and we found an arrow there on the ground, which Lloyd recognises as Soul Archer's. But we still don't really know what happened. Why were they over there? Why was the arrow there? Was Soul Archer shooting at them, or was the arrow just dropped? Where are they now?"

"Problem is, we can't _answer_ any of those questions because, like you said, that's all the information we have." Kai pointed out. "So what we're doing right now is pretty much useless."

"We can still guess." Jessica interjected.

"Okay, here's a guess." Jay piped up. "Let's say that Morro and Indigo went over there to talk or something, and then Soul Archer showed up and shot at them, and they ran off and got lost. And now they're wandering around somewhere out there."

"Yeah... but I think it'd be hard for Morro to get lost. This is his home, after all." Nya cut in.

"Hey, Ninjago's our home, and we can get lost in it." Jay shrugged. "Hey, has anyone else every noticed that Ninjago is just like our battle cry, Ninja-Go?"

"Yes, but it's pronounced differently." Kai answered.

"It seems more likely that Morro and Indigo would be captured or killed, rather than being able to escape." Zane pointed out. "Especially with Indigo injured like she is."

"Good point." Jay nodded.

"So, let's assume they were captured. Where would they be taken?" Kayson asked.

"Probably a nearby village, in a prison." Lloyd replied. "I doubt they were killed, because since ghosts are practically invincible, killing probably isn't common practice. I sure hope they're not dead, anyway."

"We all do." Kai assured him. "So, what do we do?"

"I suggest we find the nearest village." a smooth voice cut in. The adventurers whipped around towards the sound to see Alex standing at the edge of their camp, leaning casually on his staff.

"Whoa! How'd you sneak up on us like that?" Jessica asked in awe. Alex shrugged.

"I'm quiet. You ninja were right, Tara is evil. I don't know what she's doing, but she cut a scratch on my arm just like the rest of yours." Alex held out his arm, revealing the light scratch. "I have no idea what she's doing, though. The only explanation I can think of is that she's marking us for something."

"Weird." said Kayson.

"If you'll let me, I would like to help you in your quest instead of helping Tara to rescue her guardian." Alex continued.

"Wait, what?" Cole asked in confusion. "Guardian?"

"She wanted me to help her rescue a man named Clouse, whom she said raised her." Alex replied. Lloyd's eyebrows shot up. Clouse raised Tara? That explained some things. But Lloyd could sympathise with her, after all, he was here to rescue his father too.

"I guess that makes sense..." he said slowly. "Alex, did you find out anything else about her?"

"Nothing, unfortunately." Alex shook his head. "Though, back to the topic of your missing friends, look in the nearest town for a prison. Try to search the prison, see if they're there. If they are, rescue them. If not, search the countryside. If you can't find them, you'll have to go on without them." Lloyd stared at the ground uneasily. He knew that Alex was right, but he didn't want to take a chance of leaving them behind. Well, even if they couldn't find them, and they were still alive, Morro could take care of them, right?

"That plan's not half bad!" Cole said with a grin. "I'm for it!"

"Me too." Kai agreed. "But since Lloyd's the leader, he gets to decide."

"Yeah... it's good." Lloyd said after a moment. "But, where is the nearest town?"

"Back when we were on the mountain, I think we saw a village, that way." Nya said, pointing to the north after checking the mountain's position behind her.

"Then that's where we're headed." Lloyd said authoritatively. "Pack up, everyone. We leave after breakfast."

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Being in jail wasn't horrible, just really boring. Most of what Indigo and Morro would do was talk. Talk about each other, the Cursed Realm, ghosts and humans, all sorts of things. Occasionally Indigo would get up and walk around the cell, to exercise her injured body, but usually they just sat by the wall. It was hard to tell time, since there wasn't any sort of clock around and their only means of telling time was the sun, but Indigo estimated they had been in there together about six hours when Morro asked her a question.

"Indigo, what was your past like?" she blinked.

"My past? Why?"

"You're a very cheerful person for having grown up all alone. Did you?"

"...no, not really. Okay." Indigo thought for a moment before beginning. "My parents lived in a small village near Ninjago City. A fire destroyed our home when I was three or four. I don't know if my parents are still alive. A girl named Cora, who was about ten years older than me, escaped with me and brought me up in the slums of Ninjago city." she paused to take a breath. "She claimed to be my sister, and taught me how to defend myself and use my powers. I found Daggerclaws when I was ten. He's an orphan, like me." she smiled at the thought of her feline friend."When I was twelve, Cora was caught up in a gunfight between two rival gangs and shot. When I was going through her stuff afterwards, I found a letter from my parents asking her to take care of me in case something happened to them. That's how I figured out she wasn't really my sister. I lived there for a couple years with Daggerclaws, started stalking Lloyd, tried to capture him, you know the rest." Indigo stared at the floor, depressed by the reminders of her tragic past. Morro was silent for a few moments, then wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer to his protectively. She smiled and snuggled up to him. "But I was never alone. There was always someone there for me. That's why I'm happy." He didn't answer, just smiled. After a few moments, she spoke up again. "Morro?"

"Yes?"

"You're a great friend."

"Thanks." Though his reply was thankful, Indigo thought she detected a note of... disappointment, in his voice. Why would he be disappointed? Unless... unless he had the same feelings for her that as she had for him.

* * *

 **WHOOP! INDIGO LOVES MORRO! :O FFF here, by the way. Wow, not only did I post a full-length chapter, but I got it out in the morning, too!**

 **FFF: So there you have it! Indigo's mysterious past! :D Question time!  
Kai: Do we actually get any questions today?** **"  
FFF: You sure do! Yours is from Windy, and it's: "** **Do you still like Skylor? If so do you think you will ask her out or something?"** **  
Kai: Skylor...** **  
Lloyd: Kai? Hello? I think he's phasing out.  
Kai: ...  
Lloyd: Yes, Kai still likes Skylor.  
FFF: Oky doky. Next question is for Lloyd, from Breana, and it is, "** **What would you do if you found a 100 dollar bill on the ground?** **"  
Lloyd: Uh... I don't know. Anyone could've dropped it, and it's not like I could just ask, "hey, did you drop this 100 dollar bill?" Lots of rotten people would say yes. So, I'd just keep it.  
FFF: Okay then. Next one is for Jay, and it is-  
Kai: Jay?! Why does Jay get a question? Don't I get any more?  
FFF: Nope. Well, you could ask KRR.  
Kai: Who?  
FFF: Your fangirl.  
Kai: Oh yeah.  
KRR: Sorry, fresh out of questions.  
Kai: Darn.  
FFF: **_**Anyway**_ **, like I was saying, Jay's question is, "Who's a better kisser a pillow or Nya?" from Breana.  
Jay: Easy! Nya is a WAY better kisse- WHO TOLD YOU ABOUT THE PILLOW?!  
Nya: I did it.  
Jay: Oh. Well. Okay.  
FFF: One more question from Breana, it's for Morro, and it-  
Kai: **_**Morro**_ **?!  
FFF: Kai, be quiet. Go throw fireballs at the walls or something.  
Kai: Good idea. Come on, KRR, let's go burn something up.  
KRR: Yeah!  
FFF: ...and it is, "Do you like Indigo?"  
Morro: Yes. I like Indigo. Why?  
FFF: I think she means, do you LIKE like Indigo.  
Morro: Uh... yes?  
FFF: I KNEW IT! MORDIGO FOREVER!  
Indigo: What's going on?  
FFF: Nothing. Last question, it's for Lloyd. It's "Did you know you have another relative?"  
Lloyd: I **_**what**_ **?  
FFF: Have another relative.  
Lloyd: I have another relative?!  
FFF: That's a no. Anyway, better sign off before Lloyd has a panic attack. Bye!**

 **~FFF**

 **P.S. One more review and we'll have 250!**


	34. Meanwhile, at the Monastery

**Hey everyone! Unless I say otherwise, you can just assume it's FFF here. Anyway, this is a shot chapter to celebrate 250 reviews. It doesn't really have anything to do with the story. I also might not be able to get any more out today, since my Dad isn't letting me be on the computer much for some reason.**

 **Short (maybe) Review Replies:**

 **Angel: She'll be an escaped prisoner soon. ;D Your head is messed up? Ghost, mine too! Yep, still have the earplugs. ^ ^ Your list didn't show up. :/ Don't know why.**

 **Windy: Say, I wonder of there's a wiki for made-up words... *looks it up* Nope. Darn. :P Having dreams in a series is really awesomezing. Unfortunately the series usually ends once I detect a pattern. Then my mind does random dreams until I forget about it. That sounds like an awesome dream. You dream about Lloyd? Lucky! I rarely dream about him. Usually just the other ninja. This is supposed to be a short reply, so... yeah. I'd love for you to tell me how to make a ninjago shirt. :D Yeah, um... I lost track of him and I found him an hour later eating cotton candy. Then he started blowing things up. Currently he's running around in circles in the front yard. Toooooo muuuuch sugaaaaar. Yesh. I have big plans for those two. *evil grin* Okaythisistoolongbyenow**

 **Kairocksrainbow: Awesomazing short sto- *gets blown away by cookie tornado* YIKES!  
Ah, Indigo here. FFF got blown away by your cookie tornado. Cole and Lloyd are trying to go rescue her. Guess I get to write the review replies! Ha! And when I'm done, I can suck the power out of this laptop's battery.**

 **Breana: Cool! 250 reviews! If FFF were here I'm sure she'd be excited. See review reply above. I think questions are answered at the bottom...**

 **Daisy: FFF will definitely write more! See above review for why I'm writing this instead of her.**

 **Uh, hey. FFF again. Fortunately I got back here before Indigo stole the battery life. She's off sulking now. Heh. So, now le random chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 32 1/2

Sensei Wu sat in his dojo, his eyes closed and his legs folded as sticks of incense burned in front of him. In his mind, he saw Lloyd and his team descending a dark mountain. The image changed and he saw a tall, cloaked ghost fitting an arrow to his bow. The image changed once more, revealing a dark room with two indistinct figures sitting together in a dark corner. Finally, the imaged vanished and the aged man opened his eyes and stood up. Seconds later, three pre-teens burst through the door of his room, all yelling indistinctly.

"SENSEI! I DID SPINJITZU!" Anna yelled excitedly, raising her voice to be made heard over the others.

"I DID IT FIRST!" Tellen yelled over her.

"ANNA DID IT FIRST!" Ness argued, screaming louder.

"YEAH!" Anna agreed.

"NO, I DID!" Tellen spun around and created a flash of tan to prove it.

"THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU DID IT FIRST!" Anna shrieked.

"Enough!" Sensei Wu smacked them each on the head with his staff and they quieted. "It is wonderful that you both have learned the art of Spinjitzu. But that is no reason to fight." he said firmly.

"Um, by the way, Sensei, I learned Spinjitzu too." Ness spoke up. "I was actually second. Anna was first and Tellen was last. But it was close. You can ask Misako. She was there."

"No way! I learned it-" Tellen started, but Sensei bopped him with his staff again. "Ow!"

"I said, no fighting." Sensei said calmly, clasping his hands behind his back. "Now, let us go to the training room. You can show me your progress there."

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Sensei Wu stood to the side of the training course, watching his three young students spin in circles. Occasionally one of them would manage to make a Spinjitzu tornado, but usually they just got dizzy and crashed into something. Ness appeared to be the best at it, since she wasn't trying to beat either of the other two. Tellen and Anna were not only trying to knock each other down, but were shouting incessantly at each other, which broke their concentration and caused them to fall over. Tired of the noise, Sensei finally called for them to stop.

"Students, come here." he ordered. They quieted down and walked over. "Do you think you are ready to be ninja?"

"Of course we are!" Anna chirped. "We can do Spinjitzu now!"

"Actually, no." Ness shook her head. "Just because we can do one thing doesn't mean we can be ninja."

"Ness is correct." Sensei agreed. "Not only are you not skilled enough to become ninja, but you also do not have one important thing that the ninja do."

"Airjitzu?" Anna suggested.

"A team?" Tellen guessed.

"Yes. A team. Do you see the ninja fighting amongst themselves all the time, like you two do?"

"Um..." Anna thought for a moment. "No."

"That is correct. For you to be ninja, you must become a strong team." Sensei nodded.

"But there's only three of us." Tellen piped up. "And there's six of the ninja. Don't we need more people for our team?"

"Supergem could be a member." Ness suggested.

"She's a toddler!" Anna argued. "Supergem" was a little girl who had showed up at the Monastery about a week ago. Her real name was Sara, but she insisted that everyone call her Supergem. Misako was overjoyed at the arrival of the little girl, and was treating her like a daughter. Not being able to raise your own son would do that to you. As if on cue, Sara wandered into the room.

"I'm the golden ninja!" she announced.

"Cool! Wait, I thought Lloyd was the golden ninja." Tellen asked, confused.

"No, Lloyd's the green ninja. I'm the golden ninja." Sara said with a grin. "I can do Spinjitzu! Watch!" she spun around in circles until she crashed into the wall.

"Uh, that's not Spinjitzu." Anna tilted her head.

"Yes it is!" Sara gasped and jumped to her feet. "I need to check on my chao! Honey might've reincarnated!" She then dashed out of the room.

"What is a... chao?" Sensei asked Anna.

"It's a pet in a video game. Anyway, what were you saying?"

"Ah, yes. It doesn't matter what the size of your team is, as long as you work together in harmony." Sensei said wisely, clasping his hands behind his back.

"Harmony? Doesn't that mean music?" Ness asked.

"It's a metaphor." Tellen explained. "It means we need to work together without fighting."

"Ohhh." Anna nodded. "We can do that."

"Maybe." Ness added.

"Good. You should get back to your training." Sensei started to leave, then looked back for a moment. "Don't fight." he added, then left the room.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"All I'm saying is, I think I did Spinjitzu for longer than you." Tellen shrugged. "Not trying to brag, but I did."

"Well, whether you're trying to or not, that is bragging." Anna argued. "And Sensei said we shouldn't fight. Right Misako?"

"That's right." Misako replied distractedly as she served the students their dinner.

"Oh, Supergem, did Honey reincarnate?" Ness asked the little girl, who was gobbling her noodles happily.

"Not yet." Sara said after swallowing. "But she's been 4 for a while. I'm sure she will soon."

"Who's Honey?" Misako asked, raising an eyebrow.

"My chao." Sara replied.

"What's a chao?"

"It's a cute little pet in a game." Anna explained. "Sara likes it."

"Supergem!" Sara snapped.

"...Supergem likes it." Anna rolled her eyes. "Why do you want to be called that, anyway?"

"Sara is boring." Sara folded her arms defiantly. "Supergem is much more intresting."

"...right. And why did you say you were the Golden Ninja earlier?" Anna continued. "I thought your favorite color was pink."

"Pink? Of course not! My favorite color is green, my true color is gold, and my REAL favorite color is turquoise!" Sara rolled her eyes. "Obviously."

"Sa- Supergem, sometimes you're weird." Ness shook her head.

"Has anyone seen Wu?" Misako asked as the arguing paused for a second.

"Not since he was telling us about music." Anna shrugged.

"Harmony." Tellen corrected.

"Here I am." Sensei Wu walked into the room and sat down at the table. As the conversation continued around him, he found it hard to concentrate on it due to an image that had formed in his head while he had meditated, of the ninja walking across a mountain path that crumbled under their feet.

* * *

 **Woooooowww, foreshadowing! Spooky. Guess that kinda did relate to the story a little bit.**

 **Sara "Supergem" is really my little sister. She acts just like that, insisting to be called Supergem and that she's the golden ninja, and having a silly amount of favorite colors and changing them all the time. Also, the chao is a reference to a a game called Sonic Adventure 2.**

 **FFF: I think we have some questions... yep! So, here they are! They're all from Breana. The first is for Kai, it's "What's it like being a blacksmith?"  
Kai: Eh... I'm not much of a blacksmith anymore, but when I was one, it was hard. My swords kept curling up.  
Nya: That's because you're too impatient.  
Kai: Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's what you always say.  
Nya: Because it's true.  
FFF: Ahem. The second one is from Zane, and it's, "What's it like being a nindroid?"  
Zane: Being a nindroid is... definitely useful. I am almost indestructible, and I can analyse patterns almost instantly with P.I.X.A.L.'s help. It is a pity that I will never age, though, and will outlive almost everyone I know by hundreds of years.  
Cole: I'll _never_ die.  
Zane: True. I do enjoy being a nindroid, though.  
FFF: Yes, real sad about that. *evil chuckle*  
Cole: What was that about?  
FFF: Nothing! Nothing! You just reminded me of a *ahem* plan I have regarding immortality. Anyway. Third question is for everyone, and it is, "how are you so awesome?" Does everyone include me?  
Jay: Nah, I think she's specifically talking about me.  
Lloyd: Uh, no. Why would she do that?  
Jay: Cause I'm the awesomest.  
Nya: That's not a word.  
Windy: Who cares? Made up words are awesomazing!  
FFF: Let's just say she meant everyone. Including us fourth-wall-breakers.  
KRR: We're just awesome because we are.  
Alex: Exactly.  
Cole: That pretty much sums it up.  
FFF: Okie dokie, last question is for Morro, and it's "what can ghosts do?" ...Morro? Where are you?  
Lloyd: I last saw him over there with Indigo.  
FFF: Well, someone go find him! He has to answer this question!  
Cole: I'll do it.  
FFF: Well, until he gets back-  
Jessica: 99 BOTTLES OF TEA ON THE WALL! 99 BOTTLES OF TEEEEAAAAA!  
Everyone: YOU TAKE ONE DOWN, PASS IT AROUND, THERE'S 98 BOTTLES OF TEA ON THE WALL! 98 BOTTLES OF TEA ON THE WALL! 98 BOTTLES OF TEA! YOU TAKE ONE DOWN, PASS IT AROUND, THERE'S 97 BOTTLES OF TEA ON-  
Cole: Found them!  
Indigo: What did we miss?  
FFF: Morro, Breana wants to know what ghosts can do.  
Morro: Well, ghosts can do almost everything that humans can do, except anything involving liquids, as well as being able to possess and go through almost anything.  
Indigo: Cool.  
FFF: Well, that's all, and this is getting long, so bye everyone!  
Everyone else: BYE!**

~FFF


	35. Hope

**Greetings everyone! I actually have two chapters ready, so I might be able to get those out, but I also have three one-shot requests that I have to do sometime, so... cough. I'll try. And in case anyone didn't notice, Windy's request is out. ;D**

 **Review Replies:**

 **Angel: Cora? Nah, she's dead. Got shot by weird gang people. :( And yes, you will by in another dream. ^ ^ I ship Wall-e with Eve too. They're so cute. :D As for your one-shot idea, I really like it but I don't know where I'd put it. :/ Not in the Cursed Realm, 'cause there isn't any water there. Maybe in Mount Vetruvious.**

 **Kairocksrainbow: Yep, I'm fine. :D Just dizzy. Having magic Author powers can be really helpful sometime. As long as Indigo doesn't steal the power from my laptop... anyway. Thanks for the airheads! :D I'll be sure to write that one-shot for you. ;)**

 **Dragonborn: Hi! I'm glad you like my story so much! :D I try to update this at least once every day. I'm glad you like my Morro and Lloyd ont-shots, 'cause those are my favorite ones to write. ^ ^**

 **Windy: 96 BOTTLES OF TEA ON THE WALL, 96 BOTTLES OF TEA! YOU TAKE ONE DOWN, PASS IT AROUND, THERE'S 95 BOTTLES OF TEA ON THE WALL! I'm glad you liked the random chapter. ^ ^ I wasn't sure what people would think of it. Thanks for telling me how to make the shirt. :) I probably won't be able to make is for a while, though, because my life is busy right now. Fortunately I still have time to write this fanfiction. ;D Lloyd has mostly calmed down, now. Unfortunately I forgot to hide the sugary cereal so he's crazy again. *facepalm* I hope he doesn't learn the code for the padlock... yes, we have a padlock on our cereal cabinet. We also keep the candy in there. xD I hope you can read this chapter before you go back to school!**

 **Presenting... le chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 33

The Ninja and Co. stood on top of a hill overlooking a large town. It hadn't taken them long to find it, since they had found a road that led right to it.

"Well, we found it!" Jay said cheerfully. "Now we just have to sneak in and look for them!"

"But how? Any of us that go in will stick out like a sore thumb." Kai pointed out.

"Except me." Cole spoke up. "I'm a ghost too, so I'll blend right in. I can mess up some of my clothes, too, so I'll look like a traveller."

"Good idea. Where will you say you came from?" Nya asked.

"That place that Morro said he was going when we almost got caught by those ghosts... Archville, or something." Cole replied.

"Archram." Lloyd corrected. "If it is wrong, though, you can just say you misspoke."

"Right." Cole took his pack and began to create his disguise.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Bansha floated through Minyeng slowly, taking in the sights of the ghost town. It had been a long time since she'd been to this place, and she was looking forward to visiting some old friends. However, her mission came first. Ever since Soul Archer and his patrol had come across Morro and that girl who was apparently his girlfriend, Soul Archer had been paranoid about humans being in the realm. Bansha had to admit that it was a logical conclusion. After all, if that girl was here, who's to say others weren't? Or maybe he was just still cranky about losing his arrow. She had tried to tell him that he could just get another, but he had just muttered something about them being expensive and sent her to patrol the town. It was really none of her business, she decided as she stopped to buy a sugar bun from a street vendor. He was her commanding officer, after all. As she took off her hood to eat the sugary bread, she spotted a young man with strange clothes walking through the village square. He had slightly-torn clothes and a cloak, and he was carrying a staff made from a tree branch. However, he looked... nice. Friendly. Bansha narrowed her eyes at the black-haired stranger as she popped the bun in her mouth. No one was _friendly_ in the Cursed Realm. Well, most were around close friends, but not openly like this person was. Bansha swallowed the food and replaced her hood. She would have to find out more about this man.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Indigo stared out the window of her cell boredly, watching the people mill around town. Morro had seemed distant since their talk about her past that morning, and she had gotten bored of walking around the small room, so she had been staring out the window for the last half-hour or so. She focused on a ghost man selling bread from a cart. The scene looked a lot like Ninjago, actually. People walking around, buying and selling goods, chatting with each other, it looked just like a marketplace in Ninjago. Except greener. Despite the horror stories she had heard about it, the Cursed Realm didn't seem like such a terrible place. As Indigo watched with half-closed eyes, she saw a female ghost with a ninja hood buy a piece of bread from a cart. The woman pulled off her hood, revealing long black hair in a ponytail. Did all ghosts have black hair? All the ones she'd seen did. Suddenly, the woman she was watching froze, staring at something across the village square. Indigo followed her gaze to a very familiar ghost. Was that...?

"Cole!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening. Morro startled behind her before looking up and scrambling to his feet.

"What?" he joined her at the window and she pointed to the earth ninja, who was strolling slowly through the town.

"He must be looking for us!" she said excitedly. "We have to get his attention somehow!"

"Well, we can't call out to him. That would get the attention of every ghost nearby." Morro frowned. "We'll just have to wait for him to get closer."

"But what if he doesn't? He'll miss us!"

"If he is looking for us, which he most likely is, then he'll search the whole town. It looks like he's asking around for information, see? He'll find us, don't worry." he reassured her. She nodded after a moment and continued to watch. Cole was walking slowly in their direction, occasionally stopping to ask someone a question. As they watched, a guard with a spear, who had been patrolling the square, smacked Cole on the shoulder. Cole turned to face the ghost and they started talking. Unfortunately, Indigo and Morro couldn't hear a word they were saying from their distance. The guard and Cole talked for a few minutes more before the guard pointed to the jail. Cole smiled and walked towards it, saying something to the guard as he walked away. As he turned to face the jail, he finally noticed Indigo and Morro standing at the window and his eyes widened. Indigo started to call out to him, but thought better of it and waved instead. Cole grinned and made a stay-there gesture with his hands before turning around and running back out of the village. Morro and Indigo turned to each other, excitement evident on their faces.

"What have we here?" the pair spun around towards the voice as the door opened.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"Uno!" Jay said as he set a colorful card on a pile.

"Darn it!" Kai took a card from the pile next to it and sighed. "Pass."

"I win!" Jessica set down her final card and the other players groaned.

"Wanna compete for second?" Jay asked Kai and Lloyd.

"Sure." Kai drew another card. "Pass." it had been almost an hour since Cole had left, and the others were entertaining themselves with card games. So far, Jessica had won them all.

"How are you so good at these games, anyway?" Lloyd asked the daredevil girl, setting a card on the pile.

"Trade secret." she winked.

"Guys! Cole is back!" Zane called from where he was being lookout. Cole dashed into camp a moment later, his face lit up in a grin.

"I found them!" he reported excitedly.

"Alright!" Lloyd cheered. "Where are they?"

"In the town jail!" Cole replied. "I saw them looking out the same window, so I guess they're in the same cell. I asked around and it seems the jail isn't very well guarded. We should be able to sneak in and get them out tonight." Lloyd hopped to his feet, dropping his cards.

"Got it. Everyone, get ready. The sun's already going down, and we need to get them out as soon as possible." he said.

"Why?" Jay asked.

"Would _you_ like to stay in a dark cell for days on end?" Lloyd narrowed his eyes at the lightning ninja.

"No."

"Would you like to get out as soon as possible?"

"Yes."

"There's your answer." Lloyd replied as the others started to pack up their stuff.

"I think some of us should stay behind, in the event that the plan fails or something goes wrong." Zane suggested.

"Oh yeah, good idea. Kai, Kayson, you stay behind." Lloyd pointed at the two,

"Wh- why? Why us?" Kai complained.

"Because." Lloyd replied. "Someone has to. Besides, your powers are useless against ghosts."

"So are Jay's!"

"Kai, just don't argue." Jay advised him.

"You only say that because you don't have to stay behind." Kai grumbled.

"Kai, I don't want to argue with you." Lloyd spun in a green tornado, changing into his ninja gi. "Let's get ready, guys."

* * *

 **Gosh, seems like something's finally going to go right! Cool! But what is going on with Morro and Indigo? No one knows, mwahahahaaa... (except me) By the way, the card game the ninja were playing is called Uno. It's really fun. ^ ^**

 **FFF: Time for questions! Today's are for... ghost, we don't have any questions.  
Kai: None?  
Lloyd: Really?  
FFF: None. Angel did have an observation, though.  
Angel: I certainly do...  
Lloyd: And... what is that?  
FFF: Get Morro, Bansha, and Indigo over here, please.  
Lloyd: Okaaaaay...  
Morro: What's going on?  
Indigo: Why is she here?  
Bansha: Do you have a problem with me?  
Indigo: Maybe.  
Angel: Ahem. Just wanted you three to know that I ship Morro with Bansha.  
Morro: ...  
Indigo: ...  
Bansha: ...  
Indigo: _What_?  
FFF: She ships Morro with Bansha.  
Morro: How dare you?!  
Bansha: We worked together _once_! We are not in love! We only like, spoke to each other twice!  
FFF: Morro and Bansha, sitting in a tree... just kidding. I totally support Mordigo.  
Indigo: What's Mordigo?  
FFF: Nevermind.  
Morro: Come back here, you crooked reviewer!  
Angel: Yikes!  
FFF: *cough* that didn't go well.**


	36. Failure

**Finished with one! Time to post the next! No reviews yet, so, no review replies. Obviously.**

 **In case you're wondering, the reason the last chapter was a bit short was because I fell asleep while writing it. See, my sister and I share a room, and she usually wants to go to sleep way before I do (because I have writing to do), so I move to our large closet and write there. That night, though, I got really tired for some reason. Maybe because I got up 45 minutes earlier than usual to write that morning. So I got really tired and lay down on the floor and I apparently fell asleep, though I didn't notice it, 'cause when I came out it had been almost an hour and a half. I got in bed and lay there for about two hours after that wondering if I was asleep or not. Heh. I still don't know.**

 **If you noticed the title of this chapter, I'm sure you've figured out that something bad happened. Anyway. TO THE CHAPTAH!**

* * *

Chapter 34

The sun had been down for almost an hour, and the adventurers (minus Kai and Kayson) were crouching behind the wall around Minyeng, waiting for a chance to sneak inside. There were guards at every entrance, but the wall was short enough for them to easily get over it. As the last of the shopkeepers packed up his goods and left, Lloyd, who had been watching through a crack, gave the others an OK sign and they vaulted over the wall. Cole silently guided them through the town towards the prison, avoiding any people still out on the street. It didn't take long for them to approach the large, stone building, and Cole led them towards a row of windows on the south side.

"Morro!" Lloyd called as loudly as he dared. "Indigo!"

"Lloyd?" Morro's face appeared at one of the windows.

"Morro!" Lloyd ran to the window. "Are you alright? Where's Indigo?"

"I'm fine. Indigo's... asleep." Morro turned and glanced backwards in the cell for a moment. "You shouldn't be here." he said, lowering his voice to a whisper as he turned back to Lloyd. "There are guards everywhere. Get out of here, before, you're caught."

"We're not leaving you two here." Lloyd said firmly. "Which cell are you in? I don't want to wake up every guard in the area by yelling."

"You..." Morro's voice faltered and he sighed in defeat. "We're in Hall B, Cell 31. Be careful." Lloyd nodded and stepped away from the window.

"We will. Come on, guys." Lloyd gestured for the others to follow him and ran silently towards the jail's entrance. They passed through the open gate, which was devoid of any guards, and walked up to the front door. There didn't seem to be anyone inside, so Lloyd pushed the squeaking door open and the group entered slowly.

"Weird..." Jessica murmured as they walked into the silent building. "Morro said this place was swarming with guards."

"Maybe they left for the night?" Jay whispered.

"No... something fishy's going on here." Lloyd mused.

"Here's Hall B." Cole pointed to a door with a large "B" painted on it. Lloyd pushed it open, revealing a long, dark, corridor. They walked in quietly, searching for Morro's cell. Suddenly, the door slammed behind them and the hallway filled with light. As the travellers blinked in shock, ghosts with weapons surrounded them.

"It's a trap!" Lloyd shouted in alarm, summoning green energy in his palms. A grinning ghost stepped forward with a pair of Vengestone cuffs and snapped them on Lloyd's wrists, effectively cutting off any means of attack.

"Hey!" Jay yelled as he was roughly shoved into a cell. The ghosts proceeded to throw the rest of them in cells as well, with no small amount of laughing and jeering. Lloyd, after picking himself up off the floor of his cell, stared out at the ghosts through his cell door's window. What happened? How did the ghosts know they were coming? Lloyd could see Morro watching them sadly through his window. Did he _know_? Why didn't he warn them? As the last of them was shoved into a  
Vengestone-lined cell, Lloyd could only be sure of one thing: Kai and Kayson were now their only hope.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"This is sooooo dull." Kai complained, idly tossing a rock in the air. "How long can a rescue mission take? They should've been back an hour ago!"

"Kai, have you considered that something might have happened to them?" Kayson asked, glancing sideways at them. "What if they were caught and captured?"

"Nah, couldn't have." Kai tossed the rock again, but this time he failed to catch it and it landed on his foot. "Ow!" He could've sworn that Indigo's cat laughed. "I mean, they've got a water ninja with them. How could they fail?"

"Mission failed." Kayson said slowly. "Ambushed. Requesting backup."

"Huh?" Kai glanced over to see Zane's falcon perched on Kayson's arm. He had been too busy talking to notice it fly up. "A trap? But how?"

"I don't know." Kayson shook his head. "But what I do know is this: we can't rescue them. Not just the two of us. And there's no backup to be had, unless we go all the way back to Ninjago. I don't know what we're going to do."

"Perhaps I can be of assistance?" a familiar female voice asked. The two teenagers spun around and Kai's mouth dropped open.

" _Tara_?"

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Indigo sat against a wall in a cold, stone cell, her arms hanging limply from where they were chained to the wall with Vengestone chains. She sighed sadly as she heard the ninja shouting outside. The trap was sort of her fault. Just as Cole had left town to tell the other ninja where she and Morro were, Bansha had come into their cell and revealed that she had been watching them throughout the entire encounter. She demanded to know who Cole was, but both Indigo and Morro had refused to tell her. Finally, Bansha ordered two of the guards outside to take Indigo to a different cell, threatening to hurt her if Morro didn't cooperate. Indigo had taken the chance to escape, though, by sucking the energy out of the two guards as soon as she was out of the cell and making a break for it down the passage. Unfortunately, she had been caught by a large ghost with a scythe and a small vocabulary who had locked her up in these Vengestone chains and put her in here. Morro had probably broken down and told them everything after that. He did seem to really care about her. She definitely cared about him. She actually might... love him. She wasn't sure. After all, emotions was one of the subjects that she wasn't exactly an expert in. It _felt_ like love, anyway. She always felt safe around him, and her skin tingled when he touched her. If that was love, she really _really_ hoped he loved her back. She wasn't sure she could stand any more heartbreak in her life.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"They threatened Indigo?" Lloyd frowned.

"Yes." Morro said dejectedly from across the hall. "I didn't have any choice after that." Most of the guards had left after the ambush, and the ones who remained were mostly asleep. The ones who were awake didn't mind the prisoners talking.

"I understand." Lloyd nodded to his friend. "I would've done the same thing."

"Do you think Kai and Kayson will be able to rescue us?" Jay asked from a few cells down.

"I doubt it." Alex murmured. "There are just too many guards."

"Well what the heck are we supposed to do then?!" Jay exploded. "Are we just going to be stuck here forever?!"

"There's nothing we can do, Jay!" Jessica snapped. "You guys' elemental powers are useless, we're outnumbered ten to one, and we're all trapped in jail! There's nothing! We! Can! Do!"

"She's right, Jay." Lloyd sighed. "We're beaten."

"You are beaten." A raspy, female voice agreed. The prisoners' heads turned to see Bansha leading Indigo down the hallway by her chains. "The girl is correct. There's nothing you can do but sit here and rot. But since there's nothing more I need with her..." Bansha opened Morro's cell door and pulled Indigo inside, chaining her to the wall while two other guards made sure Morro didn't escape. "You can have her back." Bansha floated back out, and, after locking Morro and Indigo inside, floated back down the hall.

"Are you okay, Indigo?" Cole asked once Bansha was out of earshot.

"Yeah. I'm fine." she replied quietly. "Did anything important happen while I was gone?"

"All of us got locked up." Jay said boredly.

"All of you?" she sounded sad.

"Except Kai and Kayson, who stayed behind. But I doubt they can take on all these ghosts as once." Morro said slowly.

"I don't think we can get out of here." Nya said dejectedly. "Face it, guys. We've failed.

* * *

 **Dun dun DUUUUUUUN! Oh no! They're trapped forever and Tara is their only hope! Oh well.**

 **And there I go again, trying to describe the physical feelings of love. I really wouldn't know, though. After all, I've never been in love.**

 **FFF: Well, no one reviewed on the last chapter yet, so there are no questions.  
Kai: Again?!  
FFF: Again.  
*everyone silently waits for reviews***

 **~FFF**


	37. Hearts

**ROMANCE WARNING! Aaaaaaagh this chapter was super hard to write. During the second paragraph I literally just sat there and stared at my paper for like 20 minutes at a time before writing a line. Why? You'll see.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **KRR: Yep. I think she'll do okay, though. Whoa! Careful with that thing! *backs away slowly* Aww, thanks! O/u/O I'm so happy people like me so much.**

 **Breana: Yeah, Nya needs to cheer up. Relax guys, you'll be fine. I wouldn't let anything happen to you (for fear of being mobbed by angry reviewers O_O) . ^ ^**

* * *

Chapter 35

"No. No no no no no no no. I am not working with Tara." Kai said firmly, crossing his arms as he paced next to the fire.

"It's our only option." Kayson insisted. "You know we have no chance of getting them out on our own." Tara, Ming, and Kayson were sitting next to the fire in the middle of the campsite, while Kai walked back and forth nearby.

"But... she's Tara! How do we know she won't just turn us over to the ghosts as soon as we get there? Or kill us, for that matter." Kai argued.

"Hey, all I care about is getting Alex out." Tara said with a frown. "I need your help as much as you need mine."

"Well, we're not helping you unless you clear a few things up first. " Kai turned his scratched arm towards Tara. "What's the deal with the scratches?"

"I'm stealing your powers." Tara replied without missing a beat.

"You're _what_?" Kai exclaimed. "Why?!"

"I need them to rescue someone." she shrugged.

"You mean Clouse?" Kayson didn't seem fazed by her announcement. "Alex told us about him." he added at her surprised look.

"...yes. Clouse. I have a crystal that can absorb your powers when it touches your blood, hence the scratches. Not all of your powers, since the crystal is so small, though. Only about half." Kai summoned a flame in his palm experimentally.

"Oh. That explains why our powers are so weak." he muttered. "Alright, hand over the crystal."

"Uh, no." Tara folded her arms and glared at the fire ninja. "I still need this."

"But _we_ need our powers back! Especially if we're going to free the others! Now give it to me!" he demanded.

"Absolutely not! Besides, I can use them to help." Tara stared Kai in the eye defiantly.

"Ugh. Whatever. But we better get our full power back soon." the red ninja sat down on the ground, sulking.

"Anyway. I couldn't get your powers, um... Kayson, is it?" Tara turned to Kayson.

"That's right. My powers are artificial. I got them from a magic artifact." he explained.

"Ah. That explains it. Any other questions?" Tara turned back to the sulking fire ninja.

"Uh, yeah. Why did you try to kill Indigo?" he asked.

"She was annoying me." Tara shrugged.

"Seriously?" Kayson frowned at her.

"Yeah. I've changed now, though, thanks to Ming." Tara smiled at the younger girl next to her.

"Suuuuuuure." Kai said, unconvinced. "Why do you care about Alex, anyway?"

"I feel bad about tricking him, I guess." Tara replied amiably. Kai didn't believe her one bit. But Kayson apparently did, and they sorta did need her help, so... he would have to work with her whether he liked her or not.

"Alright." he said with a sigh. "What's the plan?"

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Indigo sat against the wall of her cell, her chained hands resting on her lap. Morro sat beside her, watching her silently as she stared at the floor. He wondered what she was thinking about. She had seemed shaken since Ghoultar had dragged to another cell the previous day, and the fact that her wrists were chained to the wall probably wasn't helping.

"Morro?" she whispered at last. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" he whispered back. "You haven't done anything wrong."

"But if it wasn't for Bansha taking me away, you wouldn't have had to go along with her plan and the others wouldn't have been captured!" she muttered, dejected. "I should've tried harder to escape."

"That's not your fault at all!" he argued quietly. "There was no way you could have escaped by yourself. There were too many guards, and besides, you were injured. Don't blame yourself for what Bansha did."

"But now everyone is trapped in here and we're never going to get out..." her voice cracked and she stopped, her eyes shining with tears.

"Don't cry." Morro put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her comfortingly. "We might be trapped, but at least we have each other." Indigo smiled, closing her eyes as a tear rolled down her cheek, landing on her sleeve.

"...Morro?" she whispered once her voice was steady again.

"Yes?" he murmured in reply. She hesitated for almost a minute before saying,

"...I love you." Morro blinked in shock. Indigo _loved_ him?

"You do?" he asked, surprise evident in his voice.

"I think so." she nodded and opened her eyes. "Do... you love me?" Morro paused, mentally listing everything he loved about her. Her soft hair, her shining eyes, her ability to make him smile even in the bleakest of situations.

"...yes." he replied at last. Her eyes widened and she looked up at him, meeting his eyes.

"Really?" she asked in a high-pitched whisper. He nodded, and to prove it, he bent down and pressed his lips to hers. Indigo's eyes widened, then closed as she kissed him back. After a few moments, he pulled away. Her eyes opened and she stared at the ground shyly, her cheeks pink and a smile on her face. He smiled with her and pulled her into a tight hug. She hugged him back as tightly as her chains would allow, burying her face in his shoulder. They held onto each other for a long time, thinking about what had just happened. "Morro?" she whispered after a long silence. "How am I touching you?"

"I'm not sure." he replied. "I guess it's because we're in the Cursed Realm."

"I like being able to touch you." she closed her eyes and slumped against him tiredly. He smiled as she drifted off to sleep. Maybe being stuck here wasn't so bad after all.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Lloyd sat at the back of his cell, a million plans running through his mind as he absently picked at the locks on his cuffs. The hallway outside was almost completely silent, the only sound being an occasion comment from one of the other prisoners. Morro and Indigo had been having a whispered conversation across the hall from him earlier, but they were quiet now. At least all the silence was making at easier to think. Lloyd forced himself to concentrate on getting out. They had to escape. They had to rescue his father. But how? Zane's falcon had managed to get out, and must have delivered Zane's message to Kai and Kayson, but what could they do? There were only two of them! And attempts to rescue them would probably just result in them getting captured as well. And then they'd never get out. Ah, why couldn't he have insisted that more of them stayed behind? He had been too overconfident. And now, because of him, they were trapped. Lloyd stumbled to his feet and looked out the window of his door. There were considerably less guards, now that the initial ambush was over. If only these cells, didn't have Vengestone, if only he could get into the hall. He could overpower at least one of the guards, and unlock his chains so he could use his powers. Lloyd curled his hands into fists. But there was no way out. The guards never opened the door for any reason. Lloyd's stomach growled, reminding him of how hungry he was. He pushed the feeling away, trying to concentrate, when he had a thought. Were they ever going to feed them? Or would they just let them starve? If they did feed them, prehaps they could escape when the guards opened the doors. Lloyd stepped away from the door and sat back down. No matter what, he couldn't give up. Ninja never quit.

Right?

* * *

 **ACK THE ROMANCE *falls off chair* ow. Why the heck was that so hard to write?!**

 **Well, there you have it! My first kiss... scene. It wasn't that bad. I guess. Maybe. *cough* Did I do okay?**

 **FFF: ...well, I guess it's time for questions. *cough*  
Kai: Are you okay?  
FFF: I'm fine. Just suffering from the after-effects of romance poisoning.  
Lloyd: Romance poisoning?  
FFF: Writing romance can be hazardous to your health.  
Kai: I thought you supported Mordigo.  
FFF: I do! That's why I wrote it! It was just really hard.  
Morro and Indigo: *hearts*  
Kai: Should I make them leave?  
FFF: Nah, they're fine. Anyway. The first question is for Lloyd, from Breana. Her question is, "how many times were you kidnapped before you turn into a teenager."  
Lloyd: Uh... three or four. I've forgotten. That was a while ago.  
FFF: Okay. *cough* Anyway. The next is for Kai, also from Breana. It's, "What am I thinking right now?"  
Kai: That's easy! The moment you're reading this, you'll be thinking the words you're reading here. So, what I just said. Ha.  
FFF: Clever.  
Kai: Thanks.  
FFF: And the last question is for Jay and Cole. From Breana, again. It is, "You guys are cool now, right?"  
Jay: You mean about Nya? Yeah.  
Cole: I've gotten over my *ahem* whatever-it-was on her. I'm not even sure it was a crush.  
FFF: Great. Well, I really need to go to bed, so, bye everyone!  
Everyone except Morro and Indigo: Bye!  
Morro and Indigo: *hearts***

 **~FFF**


	38. Freedom

**This chapter contains VIRTUALLY NO ROMANCE to my great relief. Because it's so ridiculously hard to write. I've discovered that if I walk in circles for an hour arguing with my brain it helps a little, though.**

 **Me: My chapter is fine. I did a good job.  
Brain: Yeah, right. That was way too cheesy. No one will like it.  
Me: Oh yeah? I've seen things way worse that people liked!  
Brain: Just because yours is better doesn't mean people will like it.  
Me: That makes no sense!  
Brain: I win.**

 **Fortunately, thanks to positive reviews, I successfully defeated my brain in our latest argument.  
**

 **Brain: That chapter was stupid, no one will like it.  
Me: Oh yeah?! *shows brain reviews*  
Brain ...I give up.**

 **And that's why I love reviews. Speaking of which...  
LE REVIEW REPLIES:**

 **TheFlamingShogun: Whoops. Gosh, I hope you're alright. COOKIEZ No worries, the review was a fine length. ;)**

 **AngelStarNinja: Better keep that chainsaw handy, you never know when she might try to stab someone. ;D**

 **Breana: Glad you liked it! :D I was going to have that scene be after they got out of jail, but then I was like "what the ghost let's get this over with", and just wrote it.**

 **Windy: Yay, you're back! :D My older sister kinda got addicted to candy a little and was stealing it from the cabinet, so... yeah. Only my parents know the code. Our house is full of locks, rubber bands, and complicated latches. And yet we still haven't figured out a way to keep my youngest sister from pulling the heating vents out of the floor and throwing random things into them. -.- Oh well. Anyway. I'll have to convince my mom to let me buy some fabric paint... What's a social studies class? Whenever something reminds me of Ninjago I do a mental fangirly scream. ^ ^ I think it's "Morsha"... Yeah, Tara has a bit of a habit of lying. She's very manipulative. I do think she has a bit of a crush on Alex. MORDIGO FOREVAH *cheers* I almost screamed when I saw that people liked that scene. ^ ^ I love writing them but it's so hard. ;_; Poor Lloyd is giving up. Don't worry, you'll be okay. ^ ^ I really need to end this 'cause it's really long... bye!**

 **Dragonborn: Oh good, I'm not the only one with that problem. xD Your review made me laugh.**

 **KRR: O.O Jay? You okay? Thanks for the chocolate cookiiiiiies! :D**

 **In other news... I CAN DRAW LEGOS! *screams and cheers* Yesterday I was playing around with paint and started doodling Morro and then I realized it was actually pretty good and then I drew a bunch more lego people on a piece of paper and now I'm drawing them on everything including my math mwahahahahhaa... cough. Well, that was random.**

 **Super long A/N :P TIME FOR ZE CHAPTER**

* * *

Chapter 36

Jay lay on the floor of his cell, boredly staring up at the ceiling. He and Jessica shared a cell, and though he was grateful for the company, Jessica had mentioned that she would much rather be in a cell with Lloyd and spent most of her time staring out the door's window towards the green ninja's cell. So she wasn't a very intresting cellmate. Jay's stomach growled loudly, echoing through the cell. Jessica looked down at him from the door for a moment before turning back to the hallway and yelling,

"Hey! Guard people!" she banged her fist on the bars, making a loud, annoying clanging noise that echoed through the halls. As Jay hopped to his feet and stared past Jessica into the hall, an angrily-muttering ghost with a spear walked over and stopped in front of their cell.

"Yeh?" he growled. "Whaddaya want?" Jay saw Lloyd and Cole looking out from their cells across the hall from them.

"We're hungry." Jessica stared the ghost in the eye. "Unless you want us all to starve to death, you better get us some food." The guard glared at her for a few moments menacingly, but she stared back at him, unfazed.

"Roight." the guard muttered. "Weel, I'll see wot I can do." he walked off slowly, still muttering. As soon as he was out of earshot, Cole spoke up.

"That took guts."

"Yeah. That was brave, speaking up for us like that." Lloyd agreed with a smile.

"I'm a daredevil." she winked at him, but Jay thought he saw the girl blush when she looked at Lloyd. Huh. A few minutes later, the guard returned with two others, all bearing some kind of grey-brown bread. They unlocked the doors, one at a time, and tossed a chunk of the bread into each. They didn't appear to care how many people were in each cell, since Jay saw Cole get a large chunk and he and Jessica got a smaller one. Nevertheless, they split the bread in half and ate it quickly. The crumbling bread was weird and bland, but it tasted like the best thing he'd ever eaten due to his hunger. He sure hoped they could get out of there soon, if this stuff tasted delicious. Barely five minutes after eating, he suddenly felt exhausted. Seeing Jessica similarly affected, he wondered if the food was drugged. He didn't have time to think about it, though, as he soon fell into a deep sleep.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Ming crouched outside a barred window, watching as Jay and Jessica fell fast asleep inside. Moving to the next window, she saw Morro and Indigo asleep as well, and Alex asleep in the cell after that. Well, Tara would be glad that he was alright. After checking one last cell, what had Nya (asleep) in it, Ming straightened up and ran out of the village, back to where the others were waiting at camp.

"Ming! You're back!" Kai called once he spotted her approaching from where he had been keeping watch. "So, what news?" he asked as she sat down by the fire next to Tara and Kayson.

"Everyone is fine, for starters. Uninjured, I mean. Even Indigo looks mostly healed up. Also, I think the food the ghosts are giving them is drugged. They all fell asleep after eating it. Oh, and the guards have to open the cell doors to feed them." Ming reported. Tara nodded.

"Good. Anything else?"

"Uh... Morro and Indigo were kissing, but that's not really important..." Ming trailed off and the other three exchanged glances.

"...yeah. Okay, so, now that we know this stuff, what do we do?" Kai asked.

"Make a plan." Kayson replied.

"Great. How?"

"You've never made a plan before?" Kayson tilted his head at the fire ninja.

"Lloyd and Cole usually make the plans." Kai shrugged. "I don't really have to."

"Yeah, but you're a ninja. Aren't you supposed to be good at this stuff?"

"What, stealth? Yeah. How is that relevant?"

"If you're the best at stealth, you should have some idea of how to sneak in."

"Well yeah, but I'm still not-"

"Boys, boys, calm down." Tara placed a hand on each of their heads, silencing them. "Now, if you're finished bickering, I have an idea."

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Lloyd woke up from an intense dream with a start, briefly forgetting where he was. When he felt the cold stone on his back, though, and the heavy chains on his wrists, it all came back to him. Why had he fallen asleep so quickly after eating? Maybe he'd been too hungry to realize that he'd been tired as well. He shivered in the cold room, pulling his knees up to his chest and hugging them to himself in an attempt to conserve warmth. He hated being here. He felt helpless and weak, like when Morro possessed him. Trapped in a cold, dark place with no hope of escape. Lloyd shoved those thoughts out of his head. Morro was his friend now, and thinking about such things wasn't going to help anything. All the same, this place brought back memories that he'd rather not think about. Lloyd closed his eyes, visualizing good memories to distract him. Eating cotton candy with the other ninja, meeting his father after he was cured, Kai fanboying over Skylor... Lloyd grinned at that one. It had been a while since they'd seen the red-haired girl. He wondered if Kai would ever get into a more serious relationship with her. Lloyd's smile faded slightly as he thought about the ninja of fire. Where was he now? Was he trying to get them out? Knowing Kai, he wouldn't just sit around and mope. Whatever he was doing, Lloyd sure hoped it worked.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

It was quiet on the streets of Minyeng, as two guards stood in front of the large jail. They talked with each other from time to time dully in an attempt to keep each other awake. Kai hid in an alleyway, just out of their range of sight. At a wave from Kayson, he jumped out into the open, yelling,

"Hey stinkbrains! Can't catch me!" he then took off running as the guards picked up their weapons and chased him. He led them on a crazy chase through the village before they were knocked out by Tara and Ming, who were hiding in the shadows, with large metal objects.

"Well, that went well." Tara said, stepping out and tossing her frying pan in the air casually. "Get their clothes." she instructed Ming and Kayson, who were standing behind her. As the two started taking the guards' robes and armor, Tara took one of their hoods. "Hissssss, I'm a ghost." she mimicked in a rsapy voice, putting it on her head. "Feeeaaar meeeee." Ming giggled.

"You think it'll work?" Kai asked, walking over to them.

"Sure." Tara began putting the rest of the ghost's outfit over her normal clothes. "After all, when do my plans ever not work?"

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Indigo lay against the wall of her cell, her eyes closed. Morro had woken up earlier so she could eat, and she had promptly fallen back asleep afterwards. Now that she'd woken back up she was both tired _and_ hungry, and she couldn't get back to sleep because of her hunger. So she was glad when she heard a ghost yell that it was "feeding time". She opened her eyes to see Morro, who had been talking with Lloyd through the window in the door, turned to make sure she'd heard before backing away from the door so the ghosts could get in. As one of the guards approached, Indigo tilted her head and frowned. There was something off about this ghost. He looked... solid. As he opened the door and tossed a chunk of the weird bread in, he whispered.

"Don't eat the food. And get ready to run." Her eyes widened at the familiar voice.

"Kayson?" she whispered. The "ghost" nodded, and closed the door without locking it. Indigo got to her feet, straining against her chains so she could see out the door. There were two other ghosts, one was real and the other was solid like Kayson. Kai? The other "ghost" was unlocking Lloyd's door. As soon as it was open, the ghost yelled,

"NOW!" in the seconds that followed, the other prisoners burst out of their cells, taking down the real guard in an instant.

" _Tara_?!" Indigo heard Cole say in shock. She heard the rattle of keys as another door was unlocked, and Morro pushed their door open and ran out. Indigo frowned. Had he forgotten about her? She was about to call after him when he came back with a ring of keys, trying each one on her chains. He soon found the correct one and the chains fell off. Morro grabbed her hand and they ran out into the hall, joining the others as they fled into the night.

* * *

 **Yay! They're free! :D Finally. Good thing there weren't many guards around. Soul Archer's going to have a fit when he hears about it. ^ ^**

 **FFF: Question time! We have looooots of questions today.  
Kai: Alright, yeah!  
FFF: Let's go ahead and start with you, Kai. You have two questions. The first is from TheFlamingShogun, and it's "How strong can your fire powers be? Forest fires and flaming tornadoes(forgot what their called), or just small fires and fireballs?" He also called you the greatest ninja.  
Kai: Well I am the best. So, my elmental powers are pretty strong. I could definately START a forest fire. You mean Spinjitzu? Or like, fire whirls or fire twisters? Well, I can definately do Spinjitzu, but I can't make a tornado. Maybe if Morro helped me I could, because his powers are wind.  
FFF: Mm k. The second is from Breana, it's "What would you do if I dare you to dye your hair pink with lots and lots of glitter?"  
Kai: Seriously?! I wouldn't do it. I would never live that down.  
Cole: You got that right.  
FFF: I want to see you with pink hair now... Anyway. We'll do Jay next, since he has two questions as well. The first is, "What is your favorite thing to do, besides being a ninja, being with Nya, and inventing?" It's from TheFlamingShogun.  
Jay: Playing video games! I'm an expert.  
FFF: I bet you can't beat me.  
Jay: Please. I'm a professional.  
FFF: And even if you beat me, I bet you can't beat my brother.  
Jay: Why not?  
FFF: ...you should see him. It's epic. Anyway, "Don't freak out buuuuuuuuuuuuuut there's a big scary werewolf behind you"  
Jay: AGH! WHAT?! WHERE?!  
FFF: Whoops. He ran off. That was Breana's "question" for him, by the way. Haha. Okay, next up is Lloyd. He also has two questions.  
Lloyd: Sweet!  
FFF: This first one's from TheFlamingShogun, and it's "What's your favorite thing you've accomplished?"  
Lloyd: Well, I'd have to say it's sa-  
FFF: SPOILERS!  
Lloyd: Oh yeah, right. The story's not over yet. Well, then beating the Overlord for the first time and curing my father of the Great Devourer's venom.  
FFF: Aww, how sweet. Anyway. Your second question is, "Try to say this tounge twister. Peter Piper Picked A Peck Of Pickled Peppers"  
** **Lloyd: Peter Piper Pick a Plot of Plockled... What was that again?  
FFF: Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers.  
Lloyd: Peter Plipper Plonked a Plop of Plottled... uh... Peter Piper Picked a Wreck of Pippled plots... I give up.  
FFF: Do some practice. I'm sure you'll get it eventually. Here, Windy can help you.  
Windy: I can say it! ****Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers.  
Lloyd: How are you two so good at that?!  
Windy: Magic.  
FFF: Anyway, while you two are doing that, I'll give Zane his question. The rest are from TheFlamingShogun. Zane's is, "Which came first, the chicken or the chicken egg?"  
Zane: Why, the chicken of course. It was created along with all the other land animals on the sixth day of creation.  
FFF: I knew it! Okay, next question. Cole, "Especially when do you have the most difficulty being a ghost?"  
Cole: The hardest thing to do is remembering I can't touch water, so I can't wash my hands, or brush my teeth, or take a shower, or I'll explode.  
FFF: I can see why that'd be annoying. Morro, the next question's for you. "What was the lowest point in your life? Do you think that you can compensate for your sins?"  
** **Morro: ...do I have to answer this?  
FFF: Yes.  
Morro: I've done a lot of really bad things. Probably the worst thing was possessing Lloyd, and everything I did between then and the Preeminent's death. I will never be able to make up for what I've done, but God has forgiven me and... so have most of my friends.  
FFF: I've forgiven you.  
Kai: I think we all have.  
FFF: Yeah! Finally, the last thingy is for Indigo. It's not really a question, just an observation. "You have some pretty cool powers. Just saying."  
** **Indigo: Thanks! I really do like them myself.  
FFF: Well that it for today! Also my Mom's birthday is today so Happy Birthday to her.  
Lloyd: Happy Birthday! Peter Piper Pecked a Pick of... whoops.  
FFF: Bye everyone!**

 **~FFF**


	39. Gone Again

**Well, last chapter got a surprisingly small amount of reviews. I blame school. WHERE ARE MY FANS?! :C**

 **Review Replies:**

 **KRR: You almost killed Jay! *throws fanfiction at you* Take that! He's actually okay. ^ ^ I know, Soul Archer's going to be like,** **"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY ESCAPED?! HOW COULD THEY ESCAPE?! THEY HAD NO POWERS OR OR WEAPONS OR OR OR ANYTHING!" with maybe less stuttering. xD**

 **Angel: Heh, maybe they will turn him evil. Only I know. *evil grin* I swear I'm working on that one-shot... wolves are hard to write. :P**

 **Dragonborn: I laughed so hard when I read your review. ^ ^ I want to go your school.**

 **Nice short A/N. :D Well, time for le chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 37

"Woohoo!" Jay whooped as the former prisoners and their rescuers ran out of the town into the night. "That was epic! We're free!"

"All thanks to Kayson and Tara." Cole gestured to the two, who were running along beside them in their ghost costumes.

"Which reminds me, Tara, you have some explaining to do once we get back to camp." Lloyd shot a glance at the assassin. Before long, they had arrived in the ninja's camp. Kai, who had been sitting by the fire, jumped to his feet with a grin.

"You made it!" he exclaimed happily, hugging his fellow ninja one by one.

"Of course we did." Nya said, ruffling her older brother's hair. He ducked out of her reach with a yelp.

"Hey! No one messes up my hair!" he waved her away. She responded by squirting him in the face. After the reunions were finished, Lloyd turned to Tara, who had taken off her ghost outfit.

"Tara." he said to get her attention. "I appreciate you helping us escape, but... why? Why did you do all those things to us? Why help us now? What's the point of all this?" Tara sighed and sat down by the fire.

"Alright. I'll tell you everything." she said as the rest of them sat down as well. "I was born to a peasant girl and a wealthy merchant's son..."

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"...Ming convinced me to apologize to you, and we came to your camp only to find most of you listening. After listening to Kai and Kayson's conversation, I offered to help them rescue you, and you know the rest." Tara finished. The others were silent as they processed the infromation.

"So, to summarize, you're a disturbed woman who was raised by a dark arts student and fell in love with a treacherous mercenary, and then became a murderous assassin in hopes of revenge." Cole spoke up.

"I guess." Tara shrugged.

"But you still haven't explained the crystal. Where did you get it?" Zane spoke up. Tara looked at the ground.

"I just picked it up somewhere." she said innocently. Ming sighed inwardly. She was still lying. Poor Tara just couldn't seem to trust anyone. Except for Ming, of course. Ming didn't know why, but Tara trusted her like no one else. She seemed to see her like a little sister. Ming guessed that she just needed someone to confide in. Her father figure was imprisoned, her real parents were dead,and the man she used to love had betrayed her. On the first day after Tara had arrive, Ming had made a conscious effort to become her friend. She'd just had a feeling that this strange woman needed some love. And she had been right. Tara and her had bonded almost immediately. Ming had to admit, she was scared when Tara had threatened to kill her back in the tunnels. But not really _that_ scared. More scared for Tara than of her. Scared that she would get caught by the ninja and punished for her crimes. Tara was like an older sister to her, she would do almost anything to keep her safe. And she was pretty sure that Tara felt the same.

"Well, the thing is," Cole said, breaking her out of her thoughts. "That crystal acts just like that one that was in Chen's staff. Just smaller. I guess that's why it can only absorb part of our powers instead of all of it."

"True. That makes sense." Lloyd nodded. "Oh, Tara, we're gonna need our powers back, so we'll have to smash it."

"What? No! I need this!" Tara clutched the crystal in her hand to her protectively.

"Tara, the power will corrupt you. Trust me, I know." Kai spoke up. "The more power you have, the worse it'll get."

"I'm not being corrupted!" she frowned. "I'd know if I was."

"Tara, we need our powers if we're going to make it to Sensei Garmadon." Zane said firmly.

"Just... just let me have it for one more night." Tara muttered. "We can break it in the morning."

"I guess that's okay." Lloyd shrugged. "As long as you don't run off while we're asleep."

"Promise." Jay added. Tara placed a hand over her heart.

"I promise not to run off with the crystal while you are all asleep." she said solemnly with a small smile. There was silence in the camp for a few moments before Kayson spoke up.

"Well, if there's nothing else to talk about, we should get some rest." the others murmured their agreement, and, after Alex and Cole were appointed as guards, the rest of the part went to bed.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"Ming! Ming, wake up!" Ming awoke to Tara whispering loudly in her ear. The young girl sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"What's going on?" she whispered sleepily.

"Get your stuff, we're leaving." Tara hissed, glancing around to make sure no one had heard.

"But..." Ming looked around to see almost everyone else asleep. "You promised not to run off."

"I promised not to run off while everyone else was asleep." Tara said with a grin. Her smile faded at Ming's skeptical expression. "Look, Ming, I have to do this. I need this crystal to rescue Clouse. And from their reactions to that, I don't think they like him at all. I can't let them smash this. Please, come with me." she pleaded. Ming hesitated, then nodded.

"Alright. But what about Alex?" Ming cast a glance at the white-haired boy across the camp, who was humming softly to keep himself awake. "We did go to all the trouble of rescuing him." Tara sighed at her words.

"I wish he would come with us, but I doubt he trusts me anymore." Ming shook her head.

"Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands." Tara opened her mouth to speak, but didn't get a chance before Ming hissed across the camp, "Psst! Alex! Come over here!" Tara glared at her silently as Alex stood up and walked across the camp towards them.

"Yes? What is it?" he asked, sitting down next to them.

"Tara and I are running off. Wanna come with us?" Ming asked innocently. Alex's eyes widened and Ming quickly covered his mouth to keep him from talking. "And before you yell and wake the others up, we can get out of here before they have a chance to get up. So don't bother." she uncovered his mouth and he sighed.

"But you promised not to run off while everyone was asleep." he said, frowning at Tara.

"Are you asleep?" she asked with a smug smile. He blinked, realizing what she meant, before chuckling.

"You're clever." he said. "But why would I go with you? I tried trusting you once, and you betrayed me. Besides, you already have half my element. What do you need with me?" he asked, his smile fading.

"It's not that I want your element, it's that I want you! I need someone to help me rescue Clouse, and whether or not you trust me, I trust you!" Tara insisted. "Please, come with us." Alex looked torn. He wanted to help Taram but he didn't want to betray the trust of the Ninja. Finally, he sighed, giving in.

"All right, I'll come with you. If only to keep you out of trouble." he walked across the camp to grab his knapsack, then came back. Ming grabbed her bag as well and the three walked out of camp into the silent night.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Morro's eyes opened in the early morning, as the pale green sky was just starting to lighten. Indigo was snuggled up next to him, smiling slightly in her sleep. He stared up at the dark sky, watching as the stars faded from his view. He turned his head to the side so he could see the rest of the camp. Everyone else was asleep, even Cole and Alex, who were supposed to be on guard... wait. Morro gently pulled away from the young girl beside him, sitting up. Where _was_ Alex? Morro scanned the camp for the boy with the snow-white hair, but there was no sign of him. Morro stood up and silently moved across the camp, to the place where Alex had been the night before. In his place was a small square of folded paper, a note. Morro picked it up and unfolded it, reading it quickly. _Everyone, I left with Tara and Ming. We're going to rescue Clouse. Yes, Tara took the crystal._ Morro frowned, crumpling the note as he clenched his hands into fists. Alex ran off with Tara and Ming? Sure enough, those two were gone too. Perfect. He had to tell Lloyd about this. After glancing around the camp and locating the green ninja, Morro ran over to the younger boy and shook the younger boy awake quickly.

"Wha... what's going on?" Lloyd murmured, blinking in the dim light.

"Alex, Tara, and Ming are gone." Morro said, causing Lloyd to stare at him in confusion and sit up. "Alex left this note." he added, pushing the paper into Lloyd's hand. Lloyd read it silently before letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Will we _ever_ be able to trust her?!" he groaned. Morro shook his head.

"I doubt it." the two were silent for a few moments before Morro spoke up again. "Do you think Alex was working with her all along, or did she just manage to convince him to join her?"

"Probably he was just working with her. Either that, or he's really gullible." they both smiled at that.

"Well, there's really nothing we can do about it, is there?" Morro asked after a moment. Lloyd shook his head with a sigh.

"I don't think so. They're going the same place we are, but they have a head start. Plus, they'll be moving faster because there's fewer of them." the two sat in silence for a few minutes, staring at the lightening sky.

"Well, we might as well start getting people up." Lloyd said at last. "It's almost morning, anyway." Morro nodded, and the two got up to wake the others as the dull sun peeked over the horizon.

* * *

 **Of course, Tara ran off again.**

 **Sorry if there were any questions cause I gotta get off right now and I don't remember bye**

 **~FFF**


	40. So Close

**Sigh... sorry I didn't get this out yesterday. I wrote as fast as I could yesterday morning, but then I went on a trip to see a surgeon during the time I usually wrote, and I didn't get on the computer for the rest of the day. :P My mom's on a mini vacation, so I'll be on the computer much less than usual today. Which means I probably won't get another chapter out today.**

 **Review replies:**

 **BlackRoseDragon: Whoops, I made Midna mad. I guess Tara deserved it, hee hee.**

 **Angel: Weeeeelllll... I sort of have a vague idea of what I'm going to do with her, but I can't tell you because that would spoil it for you. But she will get what she deserves. If you get mad, just read the latest one-shot again. ;)**

 **Breana: Yeah, Alex is a bit gullible. Heh. And I think Tara does have a bit of a crush on him.**

 **KRR: Whoops! Sorry 'bout that! Here, you can have your magic necklace back. ^ ^ Wait, your weakness is lightning? Don't tell Jay! O.O How are you capitalizing things? Unless you're actually a vampire or a werewolf. *backs slowly away* Thanks for the cookies! :D**

 **TheFlamingShogun: Squid? Ha! I think it's just two that she's run away from the ninja. Cause they wouldn't let her back after she ran off with Ming. Your secret message: Solve the hidden code! Use this for the order of the six capital words. F, C, E, D, A, B. What will the next cipher be? ... I don't know. Heh. I decoded it, though! :D**

 **Dragonborn: Thanks so much! :D I love reading this sort of thing, so I'm glad I'm good at writing it too. ^ ^**

 **The Mayor of Ninjago City: Heeeeeyyyyy, I know you! You're the person who wrote that awesome cowboy story! :D I'm so glad you like my fic!**

 **ElvenPrincess: ...I'll let Morro and Indigo answer your question.**

 **Just BTW, I changed my profile picture to a picture of Indigo I drew. It's kawaii desu (means so cute). ^ ^ And now, le chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 38

The adventurers set off not long after the sun had risen, since they wanted to get an early start after their setback in Minyeng. Indigo could actually walk now, so she was skipping along the rough path cheerfully, singing along with the ninja as they sang "99 Bottles of Tea on the Wall" again. Morro had assured them that it wasn't that far to the place where Garmadon was imprisoned, they just had to make it to – shockingly – another mountain. Fortunately, this one had a path straight up the side. The mountain was at the bottom of a sort of dent in the land, a giant crater which they were already descending. The slope was very gradual, but the crater was deep enough that they were currently about level with the top of the mountain in front of them. They travelled without stopping until about noon, at which point they stopped for lunch. As they dined on toasted crab legs with wasabi and kiwi, Jessica sat down next to Lloyd and poked his arm to get his attention.

"Hey Lloyd?" she spoke up. He turned to her and swallowed his bite of food before replying.

"Yes?"

"Do you think the ghosts will come after us?" Lloyd frowned as he considered her question.

"I don't know." he said slowly after a moment. "They do seem to really hate us. I guess they probably will. I hope we're far enough away that they can't find us."

"They probably will." Morro spoke up from nearby. "They know about our mission. I told them after Ghoultar took Indigo away." Indigo frowned guiltily next to him and he gave her a comforting smile.

"Oh. Great." Lloyd stared at the mountain in the distance. "Well, then I guess we'll just have to move fast. I just hope the ghosts aren't already on our trail."

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"What do you MEAN they escaped?!" Soul Archer thundered. Bansha winced from the doorway of the room. He wasn't taking the news amazingly well. "How could they escape?! Every exit was guarded! Their powers were neutralized by Vengestone! Even when they were fed, there were _three guards_! Tell me, Bansha," Soul Archer turned and stared her in the eye. "How did they escape?" Bansha was silent for a few moments as she recalled what the guards had told her.

"Apparently we didn't get all of them." she began. "Four unidentified humans, only one of them a ninja, knocked out the guards at the west entrance and took their armor. Two of them then came into the prison disguised as guards and accompanied one real guard to the next feeding. They gave most of the prisoners their food but didn't lock the doors afterwards, then all the prisoners broke out at once. They overpowered the real guard and freed the rest of them, running out the west exit before anyone could stop them." Bansha took a breath before continuing. "I have four teams of six out searching the area from here to Prison Mountain. They should report back within the hour." Soul Archer turned around and floated back and forth for a few seconds, the ghost equivalent of pacing, before turning and barking at her,

"How dare you send out my men without my permission?!" Bansha didn't flinch. He was just venting, he did this when he was stressed. She shrugged in response to his question.

"I just thought it would be what you wanted."

"Well, it... it was. Good job." he muttered. Bansha smiled underneath her mask at the praise. "But you should've told me immediately."

"I told you as soon as I could." she replied calmly. Just then, the door opened burst open and Wrayth floated through.

"Sorry to disturb you," he rasped in his deep voice. "But we have found traces of the escaped prisoners." Bansha looked at Soul Archer, who nodded for Wrayth to continue. "We found the remains of a campfire, as well as a scrap of ripped cloth and lots of deep footprints. Far too deep for any ghost."

"Very good." Soul Archer said. "Take as many soldiers as possible and follow those footprints. I want those humans captured!"

"Yes general." Wrayth saluted and left, closing the door behind him. Bansha turned to Soul Archer, who was musing silently next to his desk.

"See?" she said rebelliously. "I told you you'd like it."

"Yes, yes, yes... go after the escaped prisoners with Wrayth." he waved her away. With one last smile, she opened the door and floated out of his office to go prepare for the mission.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Lloyd looked up at the tall mountain in front of them as he rolled out his bedroll. They had made good time that day, and they would reach the mountain tomorrow. Probably. He hoped. He couldn't wait to see his father again, but he was a bit nervous too. What if something had happened to his father? He could be dead. Lloyd sat down on the mat and looked up at the mountain with a sigh. Someone came up and sat down beside him, and a glance to his left revealed that it was Morro.

"Excited to be almost there?" the ghost asked. Lloyd started to nod, but changed his mind and shook his head instead.

"I'm scared." he confessed. "What if something's happened to my father? What if he's dead? This whole trip would be for nothing and I'd lose him all over again..." Lloyd's voice cracked and he took a deep breath, trying not to cry. Morro moved closer and wrapped an arm around him, pulling him close. The comfort helped, and soon the lump in Lloyd's throat vanished.

"It wouldn't be completely for nothing." Morro said after a couple minutes.

"What do you mean?" Lloyd turned to meet the older boy's eyes.

"I... fell in love with Indigo." Lloyd's mouth dropped open.

"You _did_?" Morro nodded.

"And she fell in love with me." he finished.

"Wow. That... actually explains a lot." Lloyd realized. "I'm so happy for both of you." he said with a grin. "Does anyone else know?"

"No. And don't tell them." Morro gave Lloyd a pointed look and he laughed.

"I won't." he promised. Morro smiled at him gratefully and they both turned back to the mountain.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Alex treked silently over the rock ground near the bottom of the mountain, listening to Tara and Ming chat ahead of him. They had walked for the entire day, only pausing to eat at noon. He had to admit, the two girls the were travelling with him were surprisingly resilient. Tara, he could understand, but Ming was just a girl from a small village. It was odd that she could go so long without a break so easily. Just then, Tara called them to a halt. It was only then that Alex noticed that they were at the foot of the mountain.

"As much as I'd like to keep going and get to Clouse tonight, I'm just too tired to keep moving. We'll start again early in the morning." Tara said, walking behind a tall, flat rock and lying down. Ming soon followed suit, but Alex sat down against the rock wall instead. Despite his exhaustion, he didn't feel like he could sleep. His thoughts would keep him awake. Instead, he pulled his flute out of its case and brought it to his lips, staring to play a soothing melody. He closed his eyes and let the music flow through him, his element combining with his natural ability with the flute. As he played, his mind wandered to Clouse. He didn't know who this man was, but he would help him for Tara'a sake. Or would he? He remembered Tara's words. _"And from their reactions, they don't like him one bit."_ Why not? The ninja were kind to him when they captured him. Well, Lloyd was, anyway. Even Morro, a former enemy, was a great friend of theirs now. So what had Clouse done that was so bad? Alex realized with a start that his music had changed to a fast, angry tune, and he quickly changed it back, but when he opened his eyes he saw Tara giving him a strange look. He closed his eyes again, playing a soft melody that put her to sleep within seconds. However, due to the loss of his element, the song affected him as well, and he was soon fast asleep.

* * *

 **Wow, they're so close! Maybe they'll be there next chapter. Time for questions!**

 **FFF: Well, we only have one question for today. I think. Lemme check.  
Lloyd: Okay.  
FFF: Yep. Just one. It's from an "ElvenPrincess", and it is "If Morro is 30 and Indigo is 15, does that make him a pedophile?"  
Morro: ...  
Indigo: ...  
Morro: ...no. I'm physically around 16. I've existed for 32 years or so, but I still act like a 16 year old.  
Indigo: Yeah.  
FFF: Okay then. Well, questions are done.  
Kai: Ask more questons next time, reviwers.  
FFF: SPELLING!  
Kai: Whatevr.  
** **FFF: Oi. Bye!**

 **~FFF**


	41. Crumbling Hopes

**Well, I'm a chapter behind. :P I'll have to get two out one of these days. I am writing a super long one right now, though, so that might take a couple days to type in. Also, I am trying to write those one-shots people have requested, but I'm kinda stuck on Angel Star Ninja's request. It's hard because it takes place after RttCR and I have to make sure I don't spoil anything about the story. :P**

 **That costume party I mentioned a few chapters ago is this Wednesday, and it's long enough that I might not be able to post a chapter that day. Not only that, but I have another surgery scheduled for my finger in a little more than three weeks. I won't be able to type real well for a while after that. :( Maybe this story will be done by then, though.**

 **Review replies:**

 **Angel: Well, I actually kinda like Clouse. He's funny. So I won't be making him an evil jerkface. That's Soul Archer's job. Heheh. And, regarding your question about Tara, I can't tell you. I might spoil it for someone else who reads this review reply. Sorry. :P Oh my ghost, you read that too?! That's what inspired this whole story! But now I can't find it either. :( I guess it got taken down.**

 **KRR: Darn it, they don't make those like they used to. :P Some of the words in your review vanished. What happened there? O.o Shoo, Jay! Um... Cole has cookies! (Jay: Cookies? Where?) *gets blown away by explosion* AAAAAAAAAAHH- ow. Ooh, chocolate chip! :D**

 **Breana: Just throw something at her. Like a ghost rock. *throws rock at Tara***

 **Windy: That's perfectly alright. Of course I will pray for you, as often as I can. I asked my family to pray for you too. I'm so sorry you're having problems at home. :'( Even though we've only known each other for a short while, I feel very close to you. I really hope we can still be friends. Tell your parents I say hi, and I hope sometime they can trust me.**

 **Dragonborn: Yeah, I thought that was funny too. ^ ^ I have no idea, really. As for a sequel... mm, maybe. Maybe after the pirates season comes out and I can get some new plot ideas. Although I do have this idea...**

 **Wow, that chapter title looks ominous. To ze chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 39

Bansha put up her hand as she floated over the ground, bringing her team to a halt. She examined the trail of footprints on the ground, surprised to see three sets leading away from the others off to the right. The rest went in circles for a while before continuing straight ahead. This must be where they had camped the previous night. Bansha growled in frustration. This was bad. It meant that they were at least a day behind the ninja. She only hoped that the mountain would slow them down... Actually, they would have to turn around and go back anyway, if they wanted to get back home through the portal she and Soul Archer had discovered on Palemount. Unless they had the Realm Crystal. Though, she reasoned, if they had that there was no reason to trek through the Cursed Realm at all. They could teleport directly there. So, since they obviously didn't have it, Bansha could just set up an ambush at the bottom of the mountain. Perfect. Bansha straightened up and waved the others forward as she continued following the main tracks. Wrayth gave her a quizzical look, as if wondering what she was thinking, but she ignored it. She had plans to make.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

The adventurers got an early start the next morning, eating barbequed bagels with frog legs as they walked the couple remaining miles to the base of the mountain. It, Lloyd noted, looked much bigger up close. It also looked more intimidating, with its almost-black color and its jagged spires and peaks. When they finally got to the base, they found a neat staircase cut conviniently into the mountain. That was easy. The travelers didn't bother stopping at the bottom, just started asending the staircase. It was a very tall one, though, so it took them most of the morning to get to the top. When they got there, they found themselves on one side of a massive stone bride. Lloyd glanced at Morro, who was holding Indigo's hand as he stared across the bridge towards the entrance to the mountain on the other side. Lloyd turned to what was underneath the bridge, and he shuddered at the sight of the yawning pit of blackness.

"Well," Kai said. "are we going, or not?"

"Might as well." Kayson shrugged and stepped onto the bridge. Everyone was silent, listening for any sounds of the bridge breaking. However, they heard nothing, so Kayson started to walk across. After a few moments, the others followed suit. The party walked across the bridge, making it just past the middle before Jay stopped and walked over to the edge. The others stopped as well and watched him as he picked a pebble up off the ground.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Lloyd asked with a frown.

"Just checking something." the blue ninja tossed the pebble over the edge and cupped his ear with his hand, listening for the sound of it hitting the bottom.

"That pit must be miles deep." Cole spoke up.

"You should be careful, Jay." Zane cautioned. "It would be all too easy for you to lose your balence and fall in."

"Relax, guys. I'm a ninja. My sense of balance is impeccable." Jay said, causually striking a pose and flashing them a grin. He promptly lost his balence and flailed his arms wildly as he tilted towards the pit. Nya, who was closest, grabbed his arm and yanked him further onto the bridge. He gave her a sheepish smile as the others laughed.

"My sense of balance is impeccable." Cole mimicked. Jay folded his arms and frowned.

"Well it usually is." he muttered. As they started walking again, they felt a tremor. They all stopped instantly, exchanging glances.

"What was that?" Kai asked, voicing everyone's thoughts. Another tremor rocked the stone they were standing on, and the bridge began to crumble under their feet.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Tara opened her eyes to bright sunlight. She winced and closed her eyes again, wondering why it was so bright. Didn't she ask Alex to get her up _early_? After a few moments, she cracked her eyes open, squinting at the rock in front of her. Soft humming next to her revealed Alex, and as soon as she could see clearly, she turned her head towards him and said abruptly,

"Alex! Why didn't you get me up earlier? We were supposed to get an early start!" he startled and turned to her.

"We walked for a night, a day, and part of another night without rest. I thought we could all use some extra sleep." he replied calmly. She sighed and blinked a few more times to adjust her eyes further.

"Is Ming up yet?" she asked after a moment. Alex shook his head, pointing to the young girl on her other side. Ming was curled up in a ball on the ground, sleeping peacefully.

"Let her sleep for a little while longer." he advised. "She's only fourteen, after all."

"Alright. But we have to leave soon." Tara paused. "Wait, how do you know her age?"

"I asked her." he shrugged. "You might as well get ready to go."

"Wake her up in ten minutes." she instructed as she reached into her satchel for some... lunch. As she grabbed a piece of flat bread that she had picked up in Minyeng, an ominous rumble sounded from on the mountain. Alex and Tara both looked up in confusion as another rumble followed. "I hope that wasn't anything... bad." Tara remarked after a moment as the rumbling continued.

"It probably was." Alex said, closing his eyes and leaning back against the mountain.

"I meant, something that didn't affect us." she clarified. He sighed.

"Of course." they sat in silence as Tara ate, listening to the rumblings and wondering what was going on.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"RUN!" Kai yelled as chunks of stone began falling from the bridge. Morro grabbed Indigo's hand tightly and they sprinted towards the far side of the bridge. Morro heard a scream from Jay, and looked over his shoulder to see the blue ninja falling into the blackness below. Lloyd leaped off after him, summoning his elemental dragon in order to bring them both back up.

"Don't use your dragons unless you have to!" Lloyd yelled over the crash of falling rock. "It drains your energy too fast!" he and Jay barely made it to the safe ledge on the other side before Lloyd collapsed, his dragon vanishing as he crashed to the ground. Morro saw the others behind him jumping from falling rock to falling rock desperately, barely staying up. Indigo started to tire out, lagging behind, so Morro slowed for a brief second to pick her up. It was a mistake. He couldn't run fast enough, he was falling behind the others, and even they were having trouble. There was only twenty feet left. Could he make it? He jumped to a chunk of the bridge, using a gust of wind so he would make it. However, he lost his balence and his next jump was crooked. He didn't go far enough, and as he began to fall he reached out reflexively to catch the edge of the bridge. Indigo slipped out of his grasp, screaming as she fell into the pit underneath them.

"No!" with no regard for his own safety, Morro let go of the bridge and plummeted after her.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

The group on the edge watched in stunned silence as the rest of the bridge, as well as Morro and Indigo, vanished into the blackness. Lloyd's thoughts raced as he lay on the ground, panting tiredly as he tried to piece together what had happened. He... the bridge had started to crumble. Jay fell off. He had rescued him. Why weren't his powers working right? Tara stole him. His mind was moving too slowly. He had been too tired to help the others. Indigo fell. Morro jumped after her. They were dead. No, that wasn't right. Morro would be fine, he was a ghost. Ghost's can't die. He could've... saved Indigo, right? That was why he had jumped after her. But his elemental powers were too weak. He couldn't fly. They were... falling too fast. She didn't have a chance. If she wasn't already, Indigo would soon be dead. Too tired to be sad, Lloyd passed out from exaustion on the ledge, the last thing he saw being Daggerclaws meowing into the pit.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Indigo slowly opened her eyes, to see... nothing. Everything was black. She sat up and tried to look around. The last thing she remembered was... falling. Morro had dropped her and she'd fallen into the pit. Was she dead? She got to her feet and promptly hit her head on something hard. She half winced, half smiled as she ducked back down, surprised that her head didn't hurt. At least she didn't seem to be dead. She took an uneasy step forward, and another, and another. She walked for a few seconds before she saw a light. A light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe she _was_ dead. As she walked towards the light, she noticed that she was going up a slope. Maybe when she'd hit the ground, she had rolled off into that cave, As she came out of the tunnel, blinking in the dim light, she found herself in a dark, rocky area. She looked up to see the green sky far above her, and tall walls to all sides. She was in the pit, all right. But how had she survived? Where was Morro? Didn't he fall with her? He was probably somewhere around here. Indigo wandered around the pit until she found him, lying on the ground next to a shape that she couldn't quite make out. He was lying facedown on the ground, shaking softly. Was he crying? What was wrong? Indigo lifted her hand, about to call out to him, but yanked her hand back in shock. Slowly, she looked down at her hands. They were _green_. Green and glowing. Not to mention she could see through them. She looked up again and took a closer look at the shape. It was _her_. Her body. Dead. Indigo gasped when she realized what had happened, surprised to hear her voice vibrate, echoing slightly. Morro looked up at her at the sound, his eyes widening in shock that she could understand.

"Morro?" she asked quietly, unused to her echoing voice. "Why am I a ghost?"

* * *

 **DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN! Whoops, I killed Indigo. Hee hee. Gosh, that was a long chapter.**

 **I know this is a day late. -.- I had it practically ready last night and then my Dad wouldn't let me post it. Sigh.**

 **It's really hard to write drama when scrolling through the Ninjago tag on Tumblr. I was laughing hysterically while trying to write the fourth paragraph. Which is another reason why this is late.  
**

 **The next chapter I wrote on paper is twice as long as normal, so it probably won't come out until Thursday since I'm really busy with costume party stuff. But I did write a one-shot that I will input sometime! :D**

 **FFF: Anyway, question time!  
Kai: Any for me?  
FFF: Yep. Here's one from Breana, "** **So your hair is naturally spiky then you do not have to use hair gel then?"  
Kai: Nope! No hair gel!  
FFF: Can I have yours then? I need to make my hair stick up for my ElectricSparx cosplay.  
Lloyd: Who?  
FFF: ES. He's a character that belongs to my friend.  
Lloyd: Oh.  
Kai: Sure, you can have my hair gel.  
FFF: Thanks chum. Anyway, next question's for Cole, also from Breana. It is "What's your favorite cake?"  
Cole: Uh... that's a hard one. But I have to say that Black Forest Cakes are my favorite. That's chocolate, by the way. And no, I don't just like it because I'm the black ninja.  
Jay: You do too!  
FFF: Another question from Breana! It's for Zane, and it's "Do you still have the falcon?"  
Jay: Don't I get a question?  
FFF: Not now. Later.  
Zane: I do indeed still have my falcon. He has been recently upgraded, and is now primarily controlled by P.I.X.A.L..  
FFF: Cool. Last question from Breana is for Jay. "Did the guys ever tell you were annoying ever time you talk a lot?"  
Jay: Annoying?! ME?! Don't be ridiculous!  
Cole: You ARE annoying sometimes, Jay.  
FFF: It's true.  
Jay: Pfft.  
FFF: Anyway, last thingy from Breana is for Morro, and it's not really a question but whatever. "** **I like the green steak in your hair makes you have a more ghostly appearance** **"  
** **Morro: Thanks. I like it too.  
FFF: And we have one more question from a guest called "Count Raptor". "are you surprised morro and indigo are dating now and did any of you place any bets?"  
Jay: Morro and Indigo are dating? Haha, I knew it! Pay up, Cole!  
Cole: Darn it...  
FFF: Seriously, guys? Well, that's all the questions, I think. I hope I didn't miss any. But I gotta go like right now because I have work to do so BYE!**

 **~FFF**


	42. Happy Reunions

**Hello! This is late. Very late. I blame bad internet and parties. But it's very long to make up for it. ^ ^' I hope. I also published 2 one-shots! :D So go read those. And feel free to give me more ideas, I'm running out. O.O OVER 300 REVIEWS *cheers*  
**

 **For anyone who's curious, my party went smoothly. Sort of. If you count us chasing some of the guests around the house 'cuz they stole a hammer as smooth. And we had a dodgeball fight. I would've won, but my opponent quit to go play a video game. All in all, it was a smashing success. ^ ^**

 **Review replies:**

 **Count Raptor: Yipes! *hides sixth finger* O.O People think Indigo is cool? Gosh, I never knew. I should kill off people more often. (jk)**

 **Angel: Why do you think I killed her? *winks* And bad things never happen to bad guys. Not until the end or so. :P You requested that? You're right, you did inspire this story! OoO Lol, burn Tara burn!**

 **Dragonborn: Don't worry, they'll be okay. :)**

 **TheFlamingShogun: Course it will. ^ ^ Oh yeah, that makes sense. *takes one look at secret code* I give up. xD I could probably decode it if I had more time... but I want to get this chapter out because everyone's waiting on it. I'll answer your questions with the others at the bottom. ;D**

 **TheEarthMentor: Are you TheFlamingShogun? Your note is signed TFS... well, thanks! :D And hopefully my finger should be fixed soon. :)**

 **Breana: Hey! *dodges brick* Tara's throwing bricks at me, 'cause she figured out that it was my idea. :P *throws fanfiction at her* That always works. Lol.**

 **Catiefurballgirl114: Eeeyep. Spooky, isn't it?**

 **KRR: Yep. Poor thing's a ghost. At least she's not dead. Like, completely dead. You're typing on your what? The word ghost stole the word. Ghoultar, come back with that! xD Go read the one-shot I wrote for u.**

 **Windy: Exactly why I killed her. ^ ^ I'm glad my prayers helped. I'll pray that your Dad lets you have an email. :) Love you.**

 **And for SilverKunoichi1212, can you not do PMs? I sent you a couple but you haven't responded.**

 **And here we have it, the chapter the entire book has been building up to! :D**

* * *

Chapter 40

Morro stared at Indigo silently, taking in her ghostly appearance. She looked scared, confused. He wanted to go and comfort her, but he was frozen with shock. Seconds before, he had thought she was dead. After jumping from the bridge, he had tried to catch her with his wind powers, but the strain of using his powers was too much and he had nearly blacked out. He had hit the ground hard, knocking the breath out of him and rendering him motionless and half unconscious for what seemed like hours. When he was finally able to move again, he searched the bottom of the pit until he found Indigo's motionless body. Though there was virtually no chance that she had survived, he had checked her for a pulse. He found none. He broke down and had lain there on the ground until Indigo had appeared, a ghost like him. She looked almost the same, the few differences being her skin, which was pale green and transparent, and the red dress she had borrowed from Nya a little over a week ago was now grey.

"Morro?" she said again. He blinked, startled slightly by her echoing voice.

"I..." Morro got to his feet. "I don't know." he crossed the distance between them quickly and hugged her tightly. "I thought you were dead..." he murmured into her hair. She hugged hi.m back, closing her eyes.

"So did I." she remarked after a moment, making him smile. "But, I guess... I guess if you die in the Cursed Realm you turn into a... ghost?"

"Yeah..." they stood each other in silence for a few minutes, enjoying each other's embrace. Eventually, Indigo rested her head on Morro's shoulder and sighed.

"I'm a ghost..." she murmured. "...so...I'll live forever?"

"Yes." he replied, nodding.

"Oh." she was silent. "And I can't touch water." she added after a moment. He nodded again. "And I can possess things." Another nod. She sighed, contemplating this as she tightened her arms around him. He didn't mind. "How are we going to get out of here?" she murmured at last. "We can't climb... at least, I can't. And your powers are too weak to fly us all the way up..." Indigo sighed. "I wish my powers gave energy instead of taking it."

"If they were, you would never have tried to kidnap Lloyd, and we never would've met." Morro reminded her. He felt her smile against his shoulder.

"True." They were silent for a few moments before Morro reluctantly pulled away so they could look for a way out. Hand in hand, they walked around the pit and finally discovered a possibly-climbable wall. Indigo refused at first, saying she couldn't climb because of her fear of heights, but Morro promised to help her and she agreed to try. They made it about 20 feet before Indigo refused to go any further. Morro lifted her onto a ledge that was wide enough for her to sit on, and they both took a break. As Indigo lay sleepily in his arms, Morro conserved his strength. If he could get enough energy, maybe he could fly them up the rest of the way.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Lloyd woke up to a view of a cloudy, green sky. It was a few moments before he registered the chattering in his ear and the hand shaking his shoulder. He shook the hand off and sat up slowly, his memories of the past few hours coming back to him. Indigo was dead. He felt numb. He glanced over his shoulder to see the others, who were looking at him with concerned looks on their faces.

"I'm alright." he said, surprised to hear his voice shaking slightly. He was upset about Morro and Indigo. He wondered what had happened to the ghost. Morro had fallen after Indigo, trying to save her. Maybe he had managed to catch her before she hit the bottom. So... she _could_ be alive. But she most likely wasn't. Morro would be heartbroken... Lloyd's grief must have been showing on his face, as Jessica sat down next to him and gave him a hug. He hugged her back, trying not to cry. After a few seconds, she released him, standing up. She offered him a hand and he took it, letting her pull in to his feet. "Come on." Lloyd said, happy to hear his voice much stronger. "We should get going." the others nodded and, together, they walked through the great doorway into the mountain.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Tara stared blankly at the giant gap between her and the doorway that led inside the mountain. The remains of a bridge were on either side, and she could just see the ninja and co. on the other side vanishing into the mountain. She thought she could see a faint green glow in the blackness of the pit. Was there a ghost down there? Maybe not all of them made it across when the bridge crumbled. Shaking her head slowly, Tara turned to Alex and asked,

"Can you summon an elemental dragon?" he nodded.

"Yes. But I would tire very quickly, due to half my element being lost." he reminded her. Without hesitating, Tara pulled the glowing crystal out of her satchel and pushed it into his hand.

"Use this." he nodded and gripped the crystal tightly, closing his eyes and concentrating to fully connect with the other half of his element. Moments later, a teal and white dragon materialized. It had a thin, elegant form, like the music he wielded.

"All aboard!" he joked with a small smile as he climbed aboard the giant beast. Tara and Ming clambered on behind him, and, at his command, the dragon flapped its wings, rising into the air. The flight wasn't a very long one, since the dragon was very fast, and soon Tara and Ming were standing safely on the other side. Alex, however, stayed on his dragon.

"What're you doing?" Ming asked, voicing Tara's thoughts.

"I saw something down there. I'm going to go check it out." Before either of them could object, he had plunged over the edge on his dragon. He was down there for over five minutes, and Tara was just starting to worry when he came back up, this time with two passengers. "I found these two asleep on a tiny ledge," he said, using the power of Wind from the crystal in his hand to catch Morro and Indigo as the dragon vanished. "It didn't look safe, so I used Void to steal some of their energy, to keep them from waking up, and carried them up here." Neither Tara nor Ming answered, they both were too busy staring at Indigo.

"Uh... why is Indigo a ghost?" Tara asked with a frown.

"I don't know." Alex shrugged as he set them down gently, far away from the edge, and turned to the doorway. "I assume you want to get going?"

"...oh. Yes." Tara turned away from the sleeping ghosts to the large doorway. "Let's go." she stepped ahead of Alex and entered the mountain, he and Ming close behind her.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Lloyd and the rest of his team walked through the dark hallways of the mountain. Cages lined the walls, a few of them inhabited by dangerous-looking men and women. Most of them snarled or jeered at the travellers as they went past, though a few pleaded for help. Lloyd tried to ignore them, but he couldn't block the voices out, so he eventually resorted to covering his ears. It seemed like hours that they walked before they found cages containing Master Chen and Clouse. Chen instantly started chattering about something obscure, while Clouse just gave them a withering glare and went back to filing at the bars. The party passed them in silence, but Lloyd's mind raced. He was close! From what he remembered, his father was just over the next rise! He ran ahead of the group, ignoring Kai's questioning comment, and ascended the hill quickly. As soon as he got to the top, he finally saw his father, just as he'd left him.

"DAD!" Lloyd yelled, running down the hill as fast as he could towards his father. Garmadon looked up in shock.

"Lloyd?!" he asked in amazement. Lloyd, reaching him, hugged him tightly, and he knew that if his father's arms weren't chained then he'd hug him back. "I-I thought I'd never see you again..." Garmadon said after Lloyd pulled away, his eyes full of joy. "After you left to fight the Preeminent... I didn't think you'd ever find your way back."

"I wouldn't, if it hadn't been for Morro." Lloyd smiled, but then his face fell when he remembered when happened to the ghost.

"Morro?" his father questioned. "Last I heard, you were fighting him."

"He's a friend now. But he... fell. We were crossing bridge outside and it crumbled, and he and another friend fell. Morro's fine, but my other friend... Indigo... she's probably dead." Lloyd muttered, looking at the ground.

"She was a human?" Garmadon asked. At Lloyd's nod, he continued, "Then she isn't gone. Those who die in the Cursed Realm become ghosts." Lloyd's eyes widened.

"Really?" he asked, his face lighting up. His father nodded with a smile. "Yes! She's alive!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"Who's alive?" Kai asked from the top of the hill behind him. Lloyd turned around to see Kai and the others descending the small rise towards them. "Good to see you, Garmadon. You don't look so good, though." Kai said as he approached, stopping behind the green ninja.

"I'm fine." The Sensei replied, getting to his feet to reduce the strain on his wrists. "Why are you all here?"

"To rescue you." Cole answered. Garmadon gave him a strange look.

"When did you become a ghost?" he shook his head. "Never mind. I am bound to these chains with dark magic. Without a counterspell, there is no way to release me."

"Well, where would we get one of those?" Jay asked with a frown.

"The only person I can think of whose magic _might_ be strong enough to free me," said Garmadon, "is Clouse."

"Well, that's lucky! We just passed him!" Jessica chirped. "I'm Jessica, by the way. Jessica Danger." she held out her hand for him to shake, but quickly remembered his chains and pulled it back, blushing. Garmadon smiled warmly at her.

"I'm Garmadon, as I'm sure you've heard. I'd shake your hand, but mine are rather occupied right now." Jessica blinked.

"I like you." she declared. The ninja chuckled.

"Kai, Jay, Cole, let's go get Clouse." Zane said, and the four ninja walked back up in the direction of the Sorcerer.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Clouse sawed away at the bars of his cage with a nail file, trying to ignore Chen's incessant chattering in his ear.

"...but what I really miss is my chair. And all those buttons. Ah, how I miss dropping people into trap doors. And all those flashy lights, and smoke, and gongs! It's impossible to put on a good show here! Isn't that right, Clouse?"

"Of course, Master." Clouse replied absently, still filing away.

"That's what I thought. Hey, remember that time you were training with Garmadon and he threw you off the roof into the ocean? That was funny! But it was even better when you came back and cast a spell on him that turned his hair pink! And then he spent days trying to steal your spellbook so he could change it back! And then when he finally did, not only did he turn his hair back to normal, but he turned _your_ hair pink! Remember that, Clouse?"

"Yes, Master."

"And remember that time we were trying to take over the world and we got sucked into a giant portal and stuck in cages in the Cursed Realm?"

"Yes Mast- wait, that's what we're doing right now. And actually, I was stuck here in a fight with Garmadon."

"It is? Oh yes, you're right. Say, did you hear that?" Chen was silent and Clouse looked up in surprise at the lack of noise. A moment later, he heard a somehow-familiar voice saying,

"Stay here." He heard footsteps echoing through the halls, and, a few moments later, a young woman stepped through a doorway and glanced around the room for a moment before her eyes alighted on him and her face broke into a grin. She strode over, stopping in front of his cage. "Remember me?" she asked. Clouse blinked. She was definitely familiar, but he couldn't quite remember... his eyes widened.

" _Tara_?!" he asked in surprise.

"That's me!" she whipped out a deepstone knife – the one he'd given her – and sliced it through the bars of his cage easily, freeing him. He smiled as he stepped out of the cage and gave her a hug.

"It's been so long." he said, pulling away.

"What's going on? Who is that?" Chen asked, confused.

"You remember Tara, don't you Master?" Clouse let go of his daughter and turned to the older man. "Remember that little girl who would follow you around and beg you to teach her about fighting?"

"Wow. That's her? She looks much more menacing now."

"Um... thanks, I guess?" Tara raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Clouse, let's go." As they started to leave the room, Chen yelled from behind them,

"Wait! Aren't you going to let me out, Clouse?" Clouse paused and pretended to contemplate it.

"No." he said after a moment. "I don't think so." he then turned and walked out, Tara close behind him.

"Wait! Please? Come back, Clousy-Clouse!" Tara laughed at the last one as they left the disappointed captive behind.

* * *

 **So... yep. Lots of reunions. Not to mention almost 3,000 words. This A/N will probably bring it up the rest of the way.**

 **FFF: Alright, y'all! Time to answer questions! First one's for Kai. It's from Count Raptor, and it's referring to his review. "can you guess the references?"  
Kai: Course I did! The Princess Bride! Too easy.  
FFF: Right then. And now, there are some questions for ME!  
Lloyd: You can do that?  
FFF: Of course I can. Ahem. They're from TheFlamingShogun. The first is, "How are you so good at writing?" And the answer is, I really don't know. Must be Author magic. ^ ^ I have been writing since I was nine or ten (which is a few years) so I'm pretty good at this point. I think I have a natural gift for writing as well. though, because my mom showed a piece of my work to a teacher for a homeschool review about a year ago, and the teacher said it was the best writing she had ever seen from someone my age.  
Kai: Cool. How many questions do you have?  
FFF: Two. And I already did one. The other question is, "are Chen and Clouse and/or the ninja's former enemies going to show up?" Yes, they will. As you just saw. Most of the Ninja's old enemies are good now, though, and most of the others are dead. So, there's really not much to go on. :P And his/her last question is for everyone. "If you had one wish, what would you wish for?"  
** **Lloyd: One wish? Let me think...  
Cole: I would wish for an infinite supply of cake.  
Kai: I would wish for my parents back.  
Jay: I would wish for Nya to marry me.  
Nya: I would wish for Jay to marry me  
** **Kai: Seriously?  
FFF: Whoops! I guess that wish is coming true sometime soon.  
** **Jay: What?  
** **FFF: Never mind.  
** **Daggerclaws: Meow meow meow meow mew meow mew meow. *Translation* I would wish to be a person.  
Tara: I would wish to be an elemental master.  
Ming: I would wish to be an accomplished fighter like Tara.  
Alex: I would wish to be able to go to space.  
FFF: Space?  
Alex: What?  
Indigo: I would wish to be able to fly.  
Morro: I would wish to fix the mistakes I made in the past.  
Kayson: I would wish to know where I was going in life.  
Zane: I would wish for my creator to still be alive.  
Lloyd: I would wish... I don't know what I'd wish for. My life is amazing already.  
FFF: I would wish that everyone could go to heaven.  
Master Chen: I would wish for trap doors everywhere!  
Clouse: I would wish to have the power of creation.  
Garmadon: I would wish to repair my relationship with my family.  
FFF: ...did everyone answer?  
Techi: Not me!  
FFF: What are you doing here?  
Gin: Or me!  
FFF: Shush! You haven't been introduced yet!  
Gin: Whoops. *vanishes again*  
FFF: *cough* anyway. This is getting pretty long, so, next question! The rest are from Breana. The first is for Jay, and it's, "So your name is Jay Walker as in jaywalker?"  
** **Jay: Yep. That's my name. It's a pun, just like me, haha.  
FFF: Indeed. The next is for Cole, and it once again concerns names. "Is it true that you been called Cole Bucket?"  
** **Cole: Kai called me that ONCE. He learned never to do it again.  
** **FFF: Got it. Heh. Speaking of Kai, here's a question for him. "Can you sing?"  
Kai: Sure can! I'm pretty good at it, too.  
Kayson: Aha! I knew it!  
Kai: Yipes! I mean, uh, I'm terrible!  
FFF: You are good at singing, Kai. Sorry. Next question's for Lloyd. "Do you still pulled pranks on the guys or have you stopped?"  
** **Lloyd: Stop playing pranks? Where would the fun be in that?  
FFF: You need to teach me how to do that. Last question. Zane, "What's 230,000,000 x 450,000?"  
** **Zane: 1.035E14.  
FFF: What the heck does that mean?  
Zane: It's complicated.  
FFF: Whatever. I just remembered, Kai, KRR has a question for you. "Which hastag do u like better?XD:#Kai4ever or #Kai4forlife?XD or u love both?XD"  
Kai: Umm... #Kai4Life. But it's close.  
FFF: K then. This is long. Byeeee!**

 **~FFF**


	43. Pain

**I'm so sorry I didn't get this out earlier. My internet was glitching out and my dad wouldn't let me on the computer yesterday... :P I MIGHT get another out today. Or maybe a one-shot. Or something.**

 **Review replies:**

 **Catiefurballgirl114: Indeed it was.**

 **Angel: Whoops. You're scaring Clouse. O.O I'm totally writing that. ^ ^ Hey, cats are awesome. :D**

 **Breana: Yep. So much cuteness.**

 **KRR: Aha! I knew it! Kayson, the meaning of life is... cake. According to Cole. He just told me that. xD**

 **TheFlamingShogun: Thank you, thank you... *takes a bow and blows kisses* I'm so glad you like this so much. :D I would love it if my fic were a movie. ^ ^ It's a movie in my head.**

 **TheTimeNinja: What? I don't understand. The code's answer is... THS TEN or LXK LVE. Neither makes much sense. :/ Unless it wasn't a code. It looked like one.**

 **Anyway. On to the chaptarr!**

* * *

Chapter 41

Indigo opened her eyes and instantly closed them again due to the bright sunlight. Wait, why was there sunlight? Weren't they in a dark pit? Cautiously, she opened her eyes a crack and found herself on the safe side of the bridge. What happened? Had she dreamed falling in and turning into a ghost? She looked down at her hands. Nope. Still a ghost. Then how did she get up here? Where was Morro? She rolled over to see him on the ground half a foot away, fast asleep. Did he fly them up while she was asleep? Maybe. She wouldn't know until he woke up, and she wasn't about to wake him on purpose, so she quietly got to her feet and walked over to the mountain's entrance, peering inside into the darkness. They were probably hours behind the others, but they would catch up with them eventually. She sat down against the wall and turned towards Morro. He looked so cute when he was asleep. Peaceful. She was so lucky that he loved her. Suddenly, she heard an all-too-familiar voice from inside the mountain and scrambled to her feet, dashing outside of the tunnel and flattening herself against the wall. A few seconds later, Tara, Ming, Alex, and a guy with a ponytail emerged from the mountain, chattering happily with each other. Indigo let herself slide down against the wall into a sitting position, trying to keep herself from being seen. She didn't want to have to deal with Tara and her cronies. Unfortunately, Ming glanced at Morro on the ground and frowned.

"Hey, where's Indigo?" she asked, turning to Alex. The taller boy shrugged.

"I put her right there. She must have woken up and wandered off." he replied, pointing next to Morro. Indigo frowned from her hiding spot. Alex brought them up? Weird. He must've used Tara's crystal.

"Odd that she would run off without her boyfriend, though." Tara said with a smirk. "She's probably still nearby."

"There she is!" Indigo growled under her breath as Ming pointed directly at her. With a sigh, the ghost girl got to her feet.

"Yep, here I am." she said dully. "So what?"

"No reason. Just wondering." Ming started to turn around and go, but ponytail-guy stared at Indigo and stroked his mustache thoughtfully.

"You're right, dear." he said, apparently addressing Tara. "She does look bothersome."

"Me? She tried to kill me in my sleep!" Indigo folded her arms.

"Like I taught her to." Ponytail-guy smiled proudly.

"You must be Tara's... guardian. Clouds?" Indigo guessed with a smirk.

"Clouse." Clouse corrected irritably.

"Oh." she was unable to hide a chuckle. "You have a weird voice." she remarked. Tara snorted.

"Not half as annoying as yours." she countered.

"At least I have powers." Indigo stared back at her defiantly.

"At least I'm _alive_." Tara jabbed back. Clouse sighed and grabbed Tara's shoulder gently.

"Let it go, dear. No point in arguing with someone as _worthless_ as she." Indigo stared after Tara with a smug smile as the four climbed on Alex's dragon and flew away, but inside she was reeling. Worthless. Wonderful choice of words. When she was young, and Cora was still alive, whenever she crossed paths with regular kids they would tease her and call her worthless. She learned how to smirk and wave the insults off on the outside, but she never figured out how to deal with the pain on the inside. She slid back down against the rock with a shudder as she tried to place her bottled-up emotions back where they belong. She failed, and was soon crying silently into her hands. Without tears, of course. After somewhere around fifteen minutes, she felt a warm hand on her arm and heard Morro's voice.

"Indigo? What's wrong?" he asked, concerned. She sniffled and pulled her hands away from her face to see him kneeling beside her.

"Bad childhood." she mumbled after a moment. At his confused look, she explained further. "Tara, M-ming, Alex, and Clouse c-came out of the mountain and I t-tried to hide so they wouldn't see me, b-but they found me and T-tara and I were arguing and Clouse c-called me worthless..." she closed her eyes and pulled her knees up to her chest. "Other k-kids always called me that when I w-was younger..." she murmured. Morro sat down beside her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"You're not worthless." he said firmly. "You're priceless."

"Clever." she smiled, her eyes still closed.

"Indigo?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you." she suddenly felt his lips on hers and didn't hesitate to kiss him back. When he pulled away a few seconds later, she opened her eyes to see him smiling in front of her. "Being able to touch you is nice." he remarked.

"Youi could always touch _me._ It's me who wasn't able to touch you." she returned his smile.

"I still had to concentrate."

"Aren't ghosts solid in the Cursed Realm, though?"

"Yes."

"Great. Remind me to punch Soul Archer in the face when I get the chance." Morro laughed as she made a punching gesture with her hand.

"Ghosts are always solid to other ghosts." he said, catching her fist.

"But nothing else will be?"

"Except water, which will kill you." Morro closed his eyes as he recalled his last encounter with the dangerous element. "Or any liquid, really."

"...I guess I'll never be able to swim again, huh?" she spoke up sadly after a few moments.

"No." he shook his head, opening his eyes. "But once I get my element, back, you can fly with me."

"Thanks." she smiled and closed her eyes again, relaxing against his arm. He sat back against the wall and tightened his arm around her slightly. They stayed like that for at least ten minutes before Indigo finally spoke up. "I guess we should go after Lloyd and the others now, huh?" she opened her eyes and saw Morro nod from her left. He stood up, offering her a hand that she took and got to her feet. Immediately afterwards, Morro scooped her up in his arms bridal style, at which she let out a squeak. "I can walk!" she argued, squirming slightly.

"I know. I like carrying you." he replied.

"But won't you get tired?"

"You're a ghost. You don't weigh anything."

"Oh yeah..." she blinked and he chucked at her forgetfulness. He adjusted her in his arms before starting to walk towards the doorway. Indigo relented and went limp, enjoying the feeling of weightlessness as they entered the mountain.

ReutrnToTheCursedRealm

"I thought you said you _knew_ where he was." Cole folded his arms as he, Jay, and Kai followed Zane through the tunnels of the mountain.

"I do. I have the exact location recorded in my databanks." the nindroid replied calmly.

"Well, are we almost there?" Jay asked. "I'm bored!"

"We've only been walking for a couple minutes, Jay." Kai rolled his eyes.

"Kai is correct. It has been 2 minutes and 58 seconds since we left. And, moving at our current speed, which is 2.582 miles per hour, we will arrive in the cave where Clouse and Chen are located in approximately 12.25 seconds"

"Finally!" Jay pumped his fist in the air and took off running down the tunnel. "Aw, nuts!" he yelled a moment later. "Clouse is gone!" The other ninja entered the cavern, and, sure enough, there was a large hole in one of the cages and the sorcerer himself was missing. Chen was sitting in his cage, sulking with his arms folded.

"Oh, it's you again." he grumbled. "If you came to get Clousy-Clouse, you're too late. He's already run off with his beloved daughter."

"Clousy-Clouse?" Jay stifled a laugh.

"Beloved daughter? That must be Tara." Kai said with a frown. "How long ago did they leave?"

"I won't tell you unless you let me out." Chen said with a grin.

"Then we don't need to know." Kai turned to the other ninja. "What do we do now? Go after Tara or report back to Lloyd?"

"We could split up." Zane suggested.

"That never ends well." Cole shook his head. "I say we report back to Lloyd. If we don't, he'll get worried when we don't come back."

"True. Alright, report back it is." Kai nodded. As they turned around to go back to Garmadon's prison, a flash of green caught Kai's eye and he turned his head to see Morro, carrying Indigo, on the other side of the room.

"Morro!" he exclaimed, getting the attention of the others. "Good to see you're alright. We weren't sure we'd see you again when you took a dive into that pit." he said as the ghost boy across the room towards them.

"Is Indigo okay?" Jay frowned at the sleeping girl in Morro's arms. "She looks kinda... green."

"She's a ghost." Morro replied as she shifted slightly in her sleep. "Apparently if you die in the Cursed Realm you turn into one."

"Oh..." Jay muttered as the ninja stared at her for a few moments.

"Where are the others?" Morro asked, glancing around the cave.

"They're back with Garmadon." Cole replied, at which Morro perked up.

"They found him?" he asked in excitement.

"Sure did." Kai nodded. "We were about to go back and tell Lloyd that Clouse got out. 'Cause he's the only one who might be able to break Garmadon's chains. Come on." he turned, heading back the way they came with the others following. Zane moved to the lead to navigate, and Kai glanced back at Morro to see a murderous expression on his face. "Uh, Morro?" The ghost blinked and the expression faded as he met Kai's eyes.

"Yes?" he asked, relatively calmly.

"Something wrong? You looked pretty mad."

"Clouse." was Morro's only reply. Kai shrugged and looked back ahead. The sorcerer probably just insulted Morro's hair or something. You could never tell with that guy. Kai abandoned the thought as they neared Garmadon's cave.

* * *

 **Well. That got kinda fluffy. I blame the one-shot I'd just read and the sad/romantic music I was listening to.**

 **FFF: So, we've got ONE question for everyone! Everyone ready?  
Lloyd: Yeah!  
Kai: Yeah!  
Cole: Yeah!  
Zane: Yes!  
Jay: YEAH!  
Indigo: Yeah!  
Tara: Yeah!  
Ming: Yeah!  
Clouse: Yes!  
Morro: ...  
FFF: Something wrong?  
Morro: Sort of.  
FFF: What?  
Morro: Well, you know how there are a bunch of fanfictions about me on this site?  
FFF: Yeah.  
Morro: Well, I was looking them up, and there are some... really... rotten ones.  
FFF: I noticed. You didn't READ them, did you?  
Morro: No.  
FFF: Good.  
Kai: What are you two talking about?  
FFF: Don't ever look at the M rated stuff with Morro in the title.  
Lloyd: Why not?  
FFF: I said DON'T!  
Lloyd: Oh. Now I get it. Gross.  
FFF: I told you not to.  
Jay: ...can we just do the question now?  
FFF: Sure. It's from Breana. "If you turn invisible. What would you do?"  
Jay: Spy on people!  
Nya: Not me, I hope.  
Jay: Of course not!  
Kai: Same here. Spying. Not on girls.  
Lloyd: I would play pranks on people.  
Indigo: I would sit next to the wall and watch people silently.  
Morro: Same.  
Indigo: You only say that because I would.  
Morro: Maybe...  
Cole: I would steal all the cake.  
Tara: I would kill people who annoyed me.  
Ming: _Tara_!  
Tara: It's true. Sorry.  
Ming: I would walk around and freak people out by talking.  
Clouse: I would steal things.  
Nya: I would walk around and freak people out by talking or picking things up.  
FFF: I would spy on people. Is that everyone?  
Zane: I have not yet answered. I would take advantage of the situation by meditating where no one could detect me.  
FFF: And... anyone else?  
Wu: If we included everyone in the fanfiction, this would get rather long.  
Gin: Yeah.  
FFF: GO AWAY!  
Gin: Whoops! *poofs away*  
Lloyd: Who was that?  
Garmadon: She's-  
FFF: SHUSH! Ahem. Well, this is long, so, bye!**

 **~FFF**


	44. Gin

**My internet is so glitchy... :P HAPPY NOVEMBER 1st! And happy late halloween, I guess. I like dressing up, but all that spooky stuff is just blah. Anyway. National Novel Writing Month starts today, so I'm writing a novel for that as well as writing this FFN. But this is higher priority. So I should still be getting a chapter out every day.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **Angel: Indigo says, "Aww, thanks!" and Tara is plotting to throw things at you. xD No, I love Indigo! She's my kawaii OC. ^ ^ The only reason everything bad happens to her is for romance purposes. I'm updating, I'm UPDATING! YIKES! *hides***

 **Breana: Mordigo is my OTP. ^ ^**

 **samantha rutledg: He's mad that Clouse made Indigo cry. I think everyone's mad about that, though. xD**

 **KRR: You had a dream that I would do what? I dreamed that my sister had taken over the world and I was trying to overthrow her with my brothers and Morro the other night. :D My brother is writing a series of comic strips about it. Why do I have so many dreams where I'm being chased? -.- Dreams are awesome. ^ ^ As usual, your short story made me lol. ;D I'll stick with saying "ghost" though. Even ghostified cuss words make me uncomfortable. :P**

 **Dragonborn: Poor you. Glitchy internet stinks. :P**

 **And now... le chapter! (just realized this now has 44 chapters)**

* * *

Chapter 42

Lloyd sat on the stone floor, leaning against one of the posts his father was shackled to. Jessica was sitting a couple feet away, licking a lollipop with Daggerclaws snuggled up next to her, purring. Nya was having a friendly conversation with Lloyd's father and Kayson was silently listening to music in a corner. Lloyd stared at the tunnel out, impatiently waiting for the others to return with Clouse. Once they had him, they could force him to break the spell on his father's chains and they could go back to Ninjago. After finding Morro and Indigo, of course. Lloyd hoped that they were both okay. Mentally, anyway. Unless Morro had managed to catch her, Indigo was a ghost and then they would both be practically invincible. They were probably pretty shaken, but otherwise alright. Unless Indigo was seriously injured or something, and was just lying on the ground at the bottom with a broken back. Lloyd hoped that that wasn't what happened. Unless they had found a way to climb out, though, they were trapped down there in the dark pit. They had to find a way to get them out somehow.

"Hey Lloyd?" Jessica's voice startled him, and he looked up at her. "Your dad's really cool."

"He is, isn't he?" Lloyd turned to his grey-haired father, smiling in admiration. "He's gone through so much for me. I really love him." he turned back to Jessica, who was staring at the ground dully. "Something wrong?" he frowned at his friend's sudden change in mood.

"Not really, just... I with my father were more like him." she looked back up and met his eyes as he raised an eyebrow questioningly. "My parents are super protective of me. They wouldn't let me do hardly anything. I wasn't even allowed outside except to go to school. So I ran away. Went and did crazy things, just to prove that I could. I haven't seen them since." she paused and sighed. "That was almost a year ago. They probably freaked out when I disappeared."

"How old are you?" Lloyd asked curiously.

"Fifteen." she replied. "I was fourteen when I left."

"How did you support yourself?" he asked with a frown. "It's not like there are many jobs available for girls that age."

"I put on shows for people. Death-defying tricks. I even joined a circus once. Didn't last long. Some of the people there were jerks." she scowled at the memory.

"Did they hurt you?" he asked, concerned.

"Nah. They didn't dare. I always carry a knife." she smirked. "Anyway. One day I went to that volcano, to practice my climbing skills. I probably wouldn't have survived if it wasn't for you guys." she smiled.

"True." he nodded. He opened his mouth to continue, but was cut off by a voice at the chamber's entrance.

"Well, we have good news, and we have bad news." Lloyd and Jessica looked up in surprise to see Kai, who was standing on top of the small hill. "Which would you like to hear first?" Just then, Morro stepped into Lloyd's field of vision and the green ninja gasped.

"Morro!" his face lit up and he jumped to his feet, running to greet his ghostly friend. He hugged Morro, who returned it, for a few seconds, before letting go and saying, "You're okay! How did you get out of the pit? Where's Indigo?"

"Apparently Alex flew us out." Morro replied with a smile, in response to his first question. "And Indigo's right behind me." he turned around and sighed. "Come on."

"Coming..." Indigo replied quietly. Lloyd knew instantly what had happened, due to her echoing voice, but was still mildly surprised when she stepped around the corner, transparent and glowing a soft green.

"...whoa." he said after a few seconds. Indigo stared at the ground, obviously self-conscious about her new form. "You look good." he complimented her quickly. It was true. She definitely looked healthier than when she was a human, but that was probably due to the fact that she had a knack for getting hurt. Well, she wouldn't have to worry about that now.

"...thanks." she said after a moment, moving closer to Morro. "I'm glad someone thinks so."

" _I_ think so. Does my opinion not matter?" Morro asked in a semi-hurt tone.

"You always say I look good!" she said, blushing slightly. "How can I trust you, then?" he chuckled, saying,

"It's always true." Lloyd smiled. Despite the recent drama, they seemed as close as ever. Even closer, maybe.

"I don't see Clouse, though." he said, glancing down the hill where the other ninja were standing.

"That's the bad news." Kai replied. "We lost him."

"I wouldn't say _lost_." Cole broke in. "He was gone before he got there. Tara had rescued him." Lloyd sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing his forehead. Why couldn't anything about this mission be easy? They couldn't even walk across a bridge without it crumbling under their feet. And now Clouse had left with Tara. Lloyd opened his eyes to see Indigo glaring off into space, having a whispered conversation with Morro.

"What's wrong?" Lloyd asked them.

"Indigo met Tara and her friends leaving the mountain this morning." Morro explained.

"Clouse is a _moron_." Indigo hissed venomously. Lloyd wasn't sure what had happened, but it was probably best not to ask. With a slow nod, he turned and walked back down the hill, Morro and Indigo following a moment later. Just as they made it to the bottom of the hill, a young, female voice drew their attention back up to the top with her shout,

"Hey! Who are all you guys?"

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Morro turned around and narrowed his eyes in confusion at the sound of the young girl's voice. At the top of the hill was a young girl, who looked around seven or eight, frowning at them. She had chocolate-brown hair in two braided ponytails, one of which had a silver streak through it. She was wearing a shirt, skirt, and shoes, all of which were light purple, as well as pink leggings and a silver bow on her shirt. She had a sack that looked to be about half-full in her left hand.

"Gin!" he heard Garmadon say. "Where have you been? It's been hours since you left!"

"Foraging." the girl replied, scampering down the hill towards him. "But the bridge broke and I had to go the long way around, Who're these guys?" she pointed to the ninja with her free hand.

"This is my son," Garmadon replied, looking at Lloyd. "and his friends. They came here to rescue me."

"Dad, who is she?" Lloyd asked, confused.

"I'm Gin Nozomi!" Gin replied, spinning around to face the green ninja. "You must be Lloyd! Hi! I've heard so much about you!" she said with an innocent smile.

"Gin has taken care of me since I was banished here." Garmadon spoke up. "If not for her, I would have died of starvation long ago."

"Oh." Lloyd looked down and met the young girl's eyes. "Thank you, then."

"No problem, green bean!" she chirped in reply before spinning back around to face Lloyd's father. "They're going to rescue you? How?"

"Clouse might have been able to break the curse on my chains, but he's escaped," Gin frowned.

"Oh yeah. I wondered why he was missing. Any idea where he went?"

"He escaped with a woman named Tara." Morro spoke up. "as well as a girl named Ming and a boy named Alex. They're most likely on their way down the mountain now."

"Dang." Gin frowned. "Well then, you should go after them! Before you lose them for good!"

"I know." Kai said. "So, let's get ready to go, guys."

"I'm staying here." Lloyd said firmly. "I'm not leaving my father again." Garmadon smiled and Lloyd smiled back.

"I'll stay too." Jessica spoke up. "I'd rather stay here with Lloyd and his dad."

"Well then, I guess the rest of us will go." Cole shrugged. "If we can figure out how to get across that chasm."

"I know a way." Gin said. "You guys can come with my on my next foraging mission."

"Well then, since there's nothing else to do, let's get going!" Kai started to turn towards the exit. Indigo opened her mouth to say something, but Jay beat her to it.

"Can't we at least take a break? We've been wandering around this mountain for hours."

"I guess." Kai said with a slight frown.

"Who put you in charge, anyway?" Cole asked, folding his arms.

"I did." the red ninja replied with a grin.

"Technically I'm the leader." Lloyd broke in. "And I say you can take a break. And once you leave, Cole's in charge."

"What? Why not me?" Kai pouted.

"Cause you're immature." Cole replied, flashing a grin. Kai groaned resignedly.

"Whatever." he plopped down on the ground and put his hands behind his head as he leaned against the wall. "Rest. Right."

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Lloyd sat by the wall, munching on a piece of boiled gwava with hollandaise sauce and pepperoni. T.E.C.M.I. had made them some after Jay had complained of being hungry. Lloyd's father had politely refused any, probably since it sounded disgusting. It was pretty good, actually. Lloyd glanced over to the far side of the room to see Morro and Indigo sitting together against the wall in a dark corner, talking quietly. Indigo seemed incredibly shy since her transformation. He hadn't heard much about her past, except that she'd lived on the streets, a thief or a beggar. Such a childhood couldn't be good for her self-esteem. And now she was a ghost. She was probably afraid of not being accepted. She definitely trusted Morro, though. Lloyd could see her snuggling in the older ghost's arms, oblivious of Lloyd's staring at her. He could tell that they really loved each other a lot. He still thought it was funny how they were dating now, even though they had fought at the beginning. When had they become friends? They had vanished that one night, and come back with the starts of a friendship. He would have to ask Morro sometime what had happened that night. Lloyd leaned back against a rock, watching Morro and Indigo through half-lidded eyes. Walking through all those tunnels was taking its toll on him. A few minutes later, the green ninja was fast asleep.

* * *

 **Yoop dee doo, they're all back together again. :D**

 **And this story now has over 85,000 words! :O That's the longest story I've ever written.**

 **FFF: Time for questions and thingy!  
Lloyd: Thingy?  
FFF: Not really a question but whatever.  
Lloyd: Oookay.  
FFF: For everyone from Breana: "What do you guys want to be for Halloween?" It's more like "What were you guys for Halloween?" though, because it was yesterday. I was... me. A writer. A fanfiction writer. Translation: I didn't dress up. Mostly because I forgot it was Halloween, partially because we don't celebrate it.  
Kai: I was an ifrit! An ifrit is a fire genie.  
Cole: Yeah. I was the Grim Reaper, 'cause, y'know, scythe.  
Jay: I procrastinated until the day before and didn't have a costume ready... so I just went in my old Dragon Ninja Suit.  
Zane: I did not dress up. I simply kept an eye on my brothers as they did their halloween activities, so they did not do something crazy.  
Lloyd: I went as a werewolf. And what do you mean "do something crazy"? What do you take us for, Zane? Little kids?  
Windy: ...Lloyd, you were bouncing off the walls and blowing things up with out-of-control energy blasts by 11:30. I say that qualifies as crazy.  
Lloyd: I did? I don't remember that.  
FFF: Of course you don't.  
Indigo: I didn't dress up. I was busy.  
Morro: So was I.  
FFF: How suspicious.  
Indigo: What?  
FFF: Ahem. Who else dressed up?  
** **Nya: I went as a witch.  
** **Jay: A cute witch!  
** **Nya: Hee hee. Thanks.  
** **Alex: I went as a snake charmer.  
** **Tara: I went as an assassin.  
** **Ming: Really? You're already an assassin.  
** **Kayson: I don't do dressing up.  
Jessica: I went as a ninja!  
** **FFF: Original.  
** **Lloyd: Hey!  
** **Sensei Wu: I dressed up as Gandalf.  
** **FFF: You've got the beard for it.  
** **Garmadon: I stayed home with Misako.  
** **FFF: Anyone else?  
** **Gin: Can I show up now?  
** **FFF: Yeah, you've been introduced.  
** **Gin: Great! I dressed up as a ghost. A real ghost, not just a sheet.  
FFF: Cool. Okay, since I think we got everybody, or at least most of everyone and this is getting really long, so, the next is the thingy. It's for everyone again, and it's "50$ goes to the first person to kick clouse between the legs!"  
Kai: ...  
Cole: ...  
Jay: ...  
Zane: ...  
Lloyd: ...  
Nya: ...  
** **Morro: ...  
Indigo: ...  
Clouse: Hey!  
Techi: Oh for the love of... I'll do it!  
Clouse: Agh!  
FFF: ...and there they go. Wonder when she'll make it back.  
Damien: Go Techi!  
FFF: Wait, there she is.  
Techi: Where's my $50?  
FFF: Here. It was included with the message.  
Techi: Yay!  
FFF: So, I'm running out of time so I'll wrap this up. Bye everyone!  
Everyone but Clouse: Bye!**

 **~FFF**


	45. How Odd

**Well, this is a funny weird little chapter that I wrote a couple nights ago. I also wrote a bunch of one-shots recently so I'll try to get one/some of those out today.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **SilverKunoichi: She finally appeared. xD I've been meaning to do that for a while, but I was way behind. :P**

 **KRR: Stop hurting my characters! Cole doesn't want to work for me now. He's afraid of being attacked by reviewers. O.O jk. No worries. I can just bribe him with cake. :D Dreams are awesome. Did I say that last time? Yep.**

 **Angel: I just tricked Clouse into drinking that... and I haven't seen either him or Daggerclaws since. xD He deserves it. I'm starting to think you ARE an OC person... *narrows eyes* xD Indigo thanks you but Morro says he can take care of her by himself. I think he's just being POSSESSIVE. Anyway. I talked to some people a couple months back and they said that the new season was being aired in either December or January, though they might be doing it sooner... I don't know. Guess we'll see!**

 **Samantha Rutledg: I have one, Indigo, but in this story there is a total of... 13 OCs. I think. I have a nagging feeling that I'm missing someone, though. Let's see. Anna, Ness, Tellen, Indigo, Kayson, Techi, Damien, Ming, Tara, T.E.C.M.I., Jessica, Alex, Gin. Just 13. If I forgot anyone, please let me know.**

 **Windy: O.O Yay, you're back! Zat's okay. And yes, I think about you a lot while writing. :) I'm still praying for you. And Mordigo is awesomazing. When I was watching season 5 I just kept thinking "Poor Morro" because his life is messed up, so I I like writing it so much (even though it's ridiculously hard). ^ ^ Yeah, I wonder how that will go. xD Gin will come back there, though, eventually, so they won't be COMPLETELY alone. Jazzitzu? I want to learn it. I wish I could dance. My sister's really good, but I usually just manage to crash into something. xD See ya next review!**

 **And now, on to the short pointless chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 43

Lloyd's eyes opened slowly as he awoke, and stretched his arms above his head. Yawning, he glanced around to see... pink? Wait. He blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision. Still pink. Why the heck was everything pink? Wasn't this cave more of a soft green? And where was everyone? The cave in front of him was empty, even his father was gone. Lloyd tried to stand up, but fell over backwards. His sense of balence was way off. He rolled over on his stomach, about to try again but freezing instantly. In place of his arms were... paws. Blond, furry paws. He stood up on all fours, which was much easier than trying to stand up straight, and flexed a paw expierimentally. Claws popped out. Huh.

"...Lloyd?" a squeaky voice said from behind him. The platinum-blond cat turned around to see a black, transparent kitten with a green streak of fur near his eye sprawled on the ground with a confused look on his face.

" _Morro?!_ " Lloyd burst out laughing. "You're a kitten! You're so... squeaky!"

"So are you." the ghost cat replied, sounding offended.

"Oh. Yeah." Lloyd realized. "I sound like a chipmunk. Why are we cats?"

"No idea." Morro shook his head slowly, his high-pitched voice ruining the seriousness of his words.

"I know!" an unfamiliar voice broke in. The two kittens turned to see a teenage boy with white and grey hair sitting on a rock nearby.

"Who the ghost are you?" Morro asked, struggling to his feet.

"I'm Daggerclaws." the boy replied. "And you're both dreaming. All three of us, actually. I brought you into my dream because I was bored."

"Cats can do that?" Lloyd tilted his head.

"Of course! Cats have mental abilities that far surpass those of humans." the cat/boy replied.

"So... can we escape?" Morro asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Nope! Not until I let you out or I wake up." Daggerclaws said brightly.

"Great..." Lloyd and Morro said in unison.

"Now I suggest you get ready to run." Daggerclaws said, glancing at the watch on his arm. "Like, now." Lloyd opened his mouth to ask what he was talking about, but Indigo, a human, appeared in a cloud of smoke, riding on a bike with a knife on her hand, barely ten feet away from them. She gasped when she saw them.

"Aww! Cute little kitties!" she cooed. "I wanna hug them!" she pushed her foot down on the pedal and the bike shot forward towards them. Morro and Lloyd took off down the nearest pink tunnel in an attempt to escape the cuteness-dazed girl.

"You're sadistic!" Lloyd yelled at Daggerclaws, who was floating effortlessly along beside them, laughing and clutching his sides.

"I am not!" the human cat argued after his laughter had died down. "If she does catch you, the worst she can do is hug you, right?"

"What's with the knife then?!" The blond kitten demanded.

"Why not?" Daggerclaws chuckled.

"Is this the real her?" Morro asked between gasps for breath as Indigo squealed behind them.

"Nah. Just a figment of my imagination." Daggerclaws replied. "I could bring her here, but this is much more intresting. Besides, I think she likes her dream better."

"What's she dreaming about?" Lloyd asked curiously. The teenager shook his head.

"Not telling. Dreams are private."

"Then why drag us into yours?!" Morro hissed,

"Hmm. You have a point. I'll give you a hint. It has you in it." Daggerclaws pointed at the black and green cat. Morro blinked, slowing his pace slightly.

"Me?" he sounded surprised.

"Course." Daggerclaws grinned, revealing fangs. "Whoops, you're too slow."

"Wha- whoa!" Lloyd skidded to a stop and turned around to see Morro being snuggled by a squealing Indigo. "This is... strange." Morro grumbled squeakily. Lloyd laughed.

"You're a kitten. What do you expect?"

"I expect her to cuddle you too." Morro replied with a smirk. Moments later, Lloyd found himself being squished between Indigo and Morro. "See?"

"Did you do that?" Lloyd narrowed his eyes.

"Sort of."

"You're controlling your girlfriend. That's just wrong." Lloyd ducked as Morro swiped at him. "Hey!" Suddenly, Indigo vanished and they both dropped to the floor.

"What's going on?" Morro asked.

"I'm waking up." Daggerclaws remarked. "Someone's petting me. Say hi to your dad!"

"Huh?" Lloyd turned to see his father sitting against a wall, eating wasabi ice cream and watching them calmly.

"Hello Lloyd!" He greeted them before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

"...hi?" the blond kitten murmured. Seconds later, the world vanished and everything went black.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Lloyd opened his eyes to a view of the - fortunately green – ceiling. He groaned quietly as he sat up and looked at his hands. Not paws. He glanced around to see almost everyone else asleep. Lloyd looked off into the darkest corner of the room to see Morro sitting against the wall wide away, with Indigo sleeping peacefully in his arms. His gaze was fixed on Daggerclaws, who was licking his paw calmly. Lloyd looked over at the cat, who paused to wink at him before resuming his bath. Lloyd then decided to never get on that cat's bad side.

* * *

 **It's true. Cats have amazing mental abilities. Never get on one's bad side.**

 **FFF: Welp, time for questions!  
Lloyd: How many do we have today?  
FFF: Four. And one's for the four main ninja.  
Cole: Who are those?  
FFF: Kai, Cole, Jay, and Zane.  
Lloyd: I'm not a main ninja?  
FFF: Scratch that, the four FIRST ninja. Anyway. The first three are from Breana. This is for the first four ninja, and it's "Why were you guys fighting about who was the green ninja anyway? Couldn't you guys just died your ninja suits green then you could pretend your the Green Ninja?"  
** **Kai: Uh, no.  
Zane: Indeed. The Green Ninja is not just the color of the gi, it is that the Green Ninja would be granted golden power and be destined to defeat the Dark Lord, which we thought was Garmadon.  
Lloyd: It turned out to actually be the Overlord, though I had to fight my dad too...  
Jay: But you can't blame us for each thinking we were the Green Ninja, right? Especially me, cause, y'know, I am the best.  
Cole: You?! You're a spark plug!  
Jay: What even _is_ a spark plug?  
FFF: ...back to questions... the next is for Lloyd, from Breana again. "What's your favorite food?"  
Lloyd: Tough one. Does that include desserts?  
FFF: Let's say it does.  
Lloyd: Then the homemade ice cream that my mom makes.  
Cole: Your mom makes homemade ice cream?  
Lloyd: Yeah. You never heard about that?  
Misako: That's because you ate all of it before anyone else saw it.  
Lloyd: I did?  
FFF: Yes. Okay, last question from Breana is for Nya. "What's it like being Samurai X?"  
Nya: Well, I'm doing more water ninja stuff now, but it's really cool. Building robots came very easily to me, so it wasn't hard. It was funny, back when I started, that the ninja were fighting over which one could find out my identity first.  
Jay: Yeah, you're right. Those guys were idiots.  
Kai: You were too!  
Jay: No I wasn't! Right Nya?  
Nya: ...remember when we were on our first date and you started raving about how much you hated the Samurai?  
Jay: Uh... yeah.  
Cole: Yeah, burn!  
FFF: Ahem. Okay, the last question's from the epic Windy, it's for Garmadon.  
Clouse: Why does he get questions and not me?  
FFF: Okay. Here's a question for you. Why are you tiny and squeaky?  
Clouse: Because you tricked me into drinking a magic potion!  
FFF: Correct! And why is Daggerclaws about to eat you?  
Clouse: Because I'm a mou- aaaack!  
Daggerclaws: MEOW MEOW MEOW MEW MEOW! *translation* GET BACK HERE YOU TASTY SNACK!  
FFF: Ta daaaaa. Anyway, Windy's question is: "** **Would you let Lloyd get a girlfriend?"  
** **Garmadon: I doubt I could stop him. Yes, I would let him, but I would keep an eye on whoever he was dating.  
Lloyd: Daaad! I can take care of myself.  
Garmadon: Of course you can.  
FFF: And on that note, this is really long! And so, bye!**

 **~FFF**


	46. Perilous Descent

**I don't really have much to say... so... hope you like today's chapter!**

 **Review repliez:**

 **Angel: There's the Angel I know. Nooooo, I don't hurt her just for romance. When did I say that? I'm experimenting on different genres of writing, and my OC was the logical choice for testing on. *nods wisely***

 **KRR: O.O you wrote a short story for a pairing u don't like? I'm impressed. Well, I like Jaya, so, thanks! :D And yes, that last chapter was totally random.**

 **Samantha Rutledg: Neither one. Angel Star Ninja requested I write that, and I wanted to take a break from writing long intense stuff, so I just wrote that. I still have plenty of material left. I mean, they haven't even rescued Garmadon yet! None taken.**

 **Dragonborn: A perfectly acceptable response.**

 **I really should be working on my NaNoWriMo novel... nah. This chapter has more action. ^ ^**

* * *

Chapter 44

"You have a _machine_ that makes food?!" Gin poked T.E.C.M.I., who made an angry buzzer sound. "If I had this, I'd never have to look for food again!"

""This"? I'll have you that I am no mere machine!" T.E.C.M.I. snapped. "I am Techi's Exceptional Consumables Making Invention!"

"Whoa. It talks too?" Gin poked her again and T.E.C.M.I. zapped her. "Ow!"

"Don't poke me! I was built with the newest high-tech weapons systems!"

"What for?"

"To zap people who poke me, you clod!"

"That's it?" Gin frowned. "What about people who try to steal your parts for... belt loops or something?"

"That too."

"Careful! She's got a bit of an attitude." Lloyd cautioned as Gin shook her arm rapidly from the shock.

"Okay." she said, straightening up. "Is it-"

"Not an it!" T.E.C.M.I. interrupted her.

"Fine. Is _she_ staying here with you guys, or going with us?" Gin asked. Cole and Lloyd exchanged glances.

"Well... it makes sense that she should go with you guys." Lloyd said after a moment. "'Cause there are more of you."

"Then she should make some long-lasting food for you three." Cole replied. "Nya?"

"Way ahead of you." Nya shot a thin stream of water at T.E.C.M.I., who caught it in her funnel and produced three loaves of dark brown bread. Lloyd picked one up and sniffed it curiously.

"What... is that, T.E.C.M.I.?" he asked, frowning.

"Chocolate bread!" The machine replied. "It keeps real well!"

"Okay then." Lloyd nodded slowly.

"Is everyone ready to go?" Cole asked, glancing around the cave. "Everyone who's going, I mean."

"I am!" Kai replied, hefting his backpack onto his shoulders. The others agreed.

"Okay then. Bye guys!" Cole said as Gin lead them out of the cave.

"Bye!" Jessica waved as they vanished through the tunnel. "Good luck catching Clouse!"

"We'll need it..." Kayson muttered. A few moments later, they were gone. Lloyd, Jessica, and Garmadon looked at each other for a few moments before Garmadon spoke up.

"Well, as long as there's nothing else to do, why don't you fill me in on what's happened since I saw you last?" he said to Lloyd. Lloyd nodded and sat down against a wall before beginning to tell his tale.

"So, after I got out of the portal I found Morro fighting this guy named Ronin..."

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Cole and his team trekked back through the mountain, Gin leading them at the head of the procession. Cole wondered about the young girl. Who was she? How did she get into the Cursed Realm? She sort of reminded him of pictures he'd seen of Misako when she was in her twenties. The same brown hair with the silver streak. It was probably just a coincidence.

"Cole?" he heard Zane say from beside him.

"What's up?" Cole asked, turning to the nindroid.

"The ceiling, but that is not relevant to my question. To be honest, I am unsure of whether we will succeed in our mission or not." Zane replied. "Tara and Clouse are both formidable foes, and so is Alex. Ming is the only one who is not a threat. Not only that, but I doubt those ghosts that imprisoned us in that town we passed will give us up without a fight."

"You have a point." Cole nodded gravely. "We'll have to be on our A-game. At least ghosts are solid in the Cursed Realm. That should make them a bit easier to fight."

"True. I am also worried about those who were left behind, Lloyd, Garmadon, and Jessia. Something could happen to them while we're gone, and Lloyd is the only one with... some powers. If they were to be attacked, they wouldn't stand much of a chance. Besides, you remember what happened when we split up back in the volcano?"

"Yeah." Cole looked over at Indigo, who was holding Morro's hand as she walked with him. "Why has she been so clingy with Morro recently?"

"They're dating." Kai said from ahead of the two, slowing down so he could keep pace with them. "Ming saw them kissing."

"When did that happen?" Cole asked the grinning fire ninja.

"While you guys were in jail." he replied. "They were sharing a cell, remember?"

"That's right." Zane nodded. "I am glad for them. They both look very happy."

"Blackmail material." Kai whispered. Cole punched him on the arm lightly.

"Right. Well, don't let them hear you." he advised. Just then, Morro and Indigo seemed to realize that they were being watched and turned to look at them. Kai quickly sped up again, walking ahead of Cole, who stared ahead innocently. Zane gave the pair a friendly smile and they turned back to the path ahead. However, Cole saw Indigo whisper something and point at Kai. Morro smirked. "I think they heard you, Kai." he called quietly. Kai groaned.

"Ghost, I sure hope not." he whispered.

"We're almost out!" Gin called cheerfully, drawing everyone's attention. A few moments later, they turned a corner and were standing out in the open with the green sky above them.

"Great!" Jay said brightly. "Wait, how do we get across?"

"Follow me." Gin led them off to the left where the ground went down sharply. They soon discovered a flight of stairs that ran along the wall and started descending them. After a couple minutes, the path moved away from the wall and went over the pit instead. Another bridge, Cole thought. Perfect. And this one was barely a foot and a half wide. The adventurers walked very slowly, all of them knowing that a misstep could send them plummeting into the darkness below. They were about halfway across when Nya slipped and and almost fell. Fortunately, Jay grabbed her arm and pulled her back on before she had a chance to scream. UNfortunately, the lightning ninja bumped Kai as he pulled Nya to safety, and the fire ninja was knocked off the bridge into the pit below.

"KAI!" Kayson yelled as the red ninja shouted for help.

"YOUR DRAGON! NOW!" Cole demanded as Kai sunk into the blackness. A few moments later, he reappeared, flying upwards on his dragon as fast as he could. He didn't make it, and his dragon vanished again just below the bridge. He didn't fall far, though, before shooting upwards abruptly. He floated over the bridge before dropping onto it with a _thud_. Zane knelt beside the unconscious ninja and checked his pulse.

"He's alright." the nindroid reported after a moment. The other ninja breathed sighs of relief.

"What happened there?" Kayson asked.

"Jay knocked him off and then something carried him up." Gin replied.

"Wind." Indigo said from behind them. Cole turned around to see her kneeling beside Morro, who was lying on the ground panting heavily.

"Aaaagh, I am going to KILL Tara for taking our powers!" Jay grumbled. "It's just making everything so difficult! We can't even cross a bridge!"

"Technically that's your fault, for being clumsy." Cole pointed out.

"I was saving Nya." Jay folded his arms. "And I meant that our dragons don't work well. If Morro hadn't acted when he did, Kai would be a red splat right now." Kai coughed from the ground and opened his eyes.

"You said it..." he muttered. "Thanks for the lift, Morro."

"Hmm..." Morro hummed in reply.

"We need to get off this bridge. Like, now." Cole spoke up. "Zane, you carry Kai. I'll get Morro." Zane nodded and picked up the fire ninja bridal-style as Morro shook his head, struggling to his feet.

"I can walk!" Kai protested.

"Yeeeaah, no." Jay shook his head. "You just fell off a cliff. Let Zane carry you."

"Only because you pushed me." Kai pointed out, but relented and let himself be carried. Morro refused to let Cole carry him, and let Indigo help him instead. The travellers started walking again, much slower than before. They didn't want to risk anyone else falling. It was about ten minutes before they made it to the other side, and found another staircase that they were only too happy to climb. At the top of the staircase was the ledge that broke off into the pit. They stood there in silence for a few moments before Kai spoke up from Zane's arms,

"And the worst part is that we'll have to cross that gap twice more. Zane, can you put me down now?" the ice ninja nodded and set Kai on his feet.

"We should stop for breakfast. Well, lunch, now." Cole said as Jay pulled out T.E.C.M.I. "Then we can get started down the mountain. Kai, Morro, how do you feel?"

"Fine!" Kai replied brightly.

"Tired." Morro sat down on the ground against a rock.

"Well, I'm a bit tired too, but other than that I feel fine." Kai corrected himself, starting to walk over to Jay and T.E.C.M.I.. He tripped and almost fell over. "And a little dizzy." he added.

"Kai, how do you _really_ feel?" Kayson deadpanned. The red ninja sighed.

"Tired, dizzy, and my head hurts. But I can walk." he insisted. Jay shoved him lightly and he tumbled to the ground. "Hey!"

"See? Your sense of balance is off too!" Jay said with a grin.

"I _said_ I was dizzy." Kai muttered. "Why don't you go pester Morro about how he feels?"

"Because he's not arguing that he's perfectly fine." Zane replied, giving Kai a hand up. "And he didn't fall off a cliff."

"He did before."

"And he's a ghost."

"You guys are goofs." Gin shook her head as she sat down on the ground. "Are we going to eat, or what?"

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Bansha hovered over the ground at the base of Prison Mountain, carefully wrapping a bandage around the burn wound on her arm. Their fight against the small party that had left yesterday had gone very badly. The woman with the long hair had used some sort of... crystal, that enabled her to command every element. Including water. The older man had fought too, casting spells that trapped or threw the soldiers, taking them out of the battle. Half of Bansha's troops were severely burned, and most of the rest were at least injured. She had sent for backup, but she wasn't sure if they would arrive in time to fight the rest of the escaped prisoners, who must still be on the mountain. Bansha tied the cloth tight and turned around to check on the injured men, almost bumping into the approaching Wrayth.

"The scouts have spotted movement on the mountain." he reported. Bansha nodded and floated over to the two scouts, who were standing at the edge of the camp. They both saluted as she approached, and one pointed with his free hand up to the mountain. Bansha looked up to see a procession of humans, and a few ghosts, making their way down the staircase.

"Wrayth, prepare the men for an ambush." she ordered. The chain-wielding ghost nodded and floated off to inform the men. Bansha floated into cover behind a rock, a slow smile spreading over her face as she pulled out her double sided sword. Finally, they would pay for coming here.

* * *

 **What? I hadn't thrown someone off a cliff for a good three chapters! Gotta have some consistency.**

 **Kai: Any questions today?  
FFF: A few. The first two are from Breana. "** **What would you guys do if Lloyd wasn't the green ninja but instead (dramatic music) KAI was the green ninja** **"  
** **Kai: Haha, YES! I KNEW IT!  
Jay: Awww! I thought I was the green ninja!  
Cole: Meh. It shoulda been me.  
Zane: I do not think that Kai would wield the power of the First Spinjitzu Master well. He is too hotheaded.  
Lloyd: Exactly. And if he was, I would still be a bratty little kid.  
FFF: Yep. Lloyd makes a good green ninja.  
Kai: Sadly, it's true.  
FFF: Okay. Second question from Breana: "** **Kai, Cole, Zane, and Lloyd, How come you guys don't have girlfriends yet. You guys are cute shouldn't you have girlfriends by now** **"  
** **Kai: I have a girlfriend! Skylor!  
Zane: And I have P.I.X.A.L..  
Lloyd: I have millions of screaming fangirls. Does that count?  
Cole: Eheheh, I'm not really one for dating. I'm Ace/Aro.  
Ally: Like me!  
Kai: Who's that?  
FFF: My older sister.  
Ally: I ship Cole with cake.  
FFF: OTP!  
Cole: That actually makes sense...  
FFF: Anyway. Last question's from KRR.  
KRR: Garmadon, what's it like being a Sensei?  
Garmadon: It's very fulfilling. I enjoy teaching others the skills I have learned over the years and help them become better.  
KRR: Cool. :D  
Indigo: How come you get smiley faces?  
KRR: Magic.  
FFF: I need to wrap this up so I can go watch Lord of the Rings with my brother... so, bye!**

 **~FFF**


	47. Interdimensional Confusion

**HELLOZIES EVERYONE! SO SORRIES THIS IS LATE BUT I WENT TO MAH CHURCH'S YOUTH GROUP LAST NIGHT AND DIDN'T GET TO POST AND IT WAS SOOOOOO MUCH FUN I HARDLY EVERY GET TO HANG OUT WITH OTHER PEOPLE MY AGE OTHER THAN MY SIBLINGS AND THE NINJA AND WE PLAYED CRAZY GAMES AND THREW THINGS AT EACH OTHER AND ATE PUMPKIN PIE AND stop reading over my shoulder lloyd HE'S TAKING THE COMPUTER HELP**

 **Hey... everyone. Lloyd here. FFF's still on a sugar high or something, I don't know why she's acting liTHEY DRUGGED THE MASHED POTATOS I TELL YOU I GOT THE COMPUTER BACK FROM LLOYD HAHA I WROTE THESE REVIEW REPLIES YESTERDAAAAY**

 **Review Replies:**

 **Angel: Coke. ColeXCake ship name. xD Sounds like pop. I blame Soul Archer. He's got anger issues. (Soul Archer: WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE ANGER ISSUES?!) Like that. I think you're suffering from "OC to CC Syndrome". It's where you know an OC in a fanfiction for so long that you start thinking of them as a canon character. Yes, I've heard of many cases of that while I've been on this site. *nods wisely* Wow, I am taking forever on that Wind Rider one-shot... I need to finish that. :P I'll do that kite one sometime. ;) Wait, who are you killing? O.o**

 **Dragonborn: Hmm, sort of. I considered doing that a while ago. I don't know who would be the main character. Probably Legolas, since he's my favorite character. ^ ^**

 **KRR: Whatever. I'll ship Coke, and you ship Coya. Hey, ironically, Tellen from the Monastery has teleportation powers. OuO Short story made me lol.  
^ ^ Poor Kai can't get a break. First he falls off a cliff, then he gets clobbered by a Master of Amber. I half expected you to roast Jay with black fire for throwing him off a cliff... xD**

 **TheFlamingShogun: I know. I was really into LotR stuff for a while, but then I got obsessed with Ninjago. ^ ^ No, I didn't know that. That is cool. :D**

 **Agh... okay, I got the computer back from FFF. She's now burning off some of that energy by sparring Kai, Zane, and Nya all at once. And... winning. Oh wait, Jay and Cole just joined the fight. Now she's losing. Anyway. So, here's the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 45

Cole walked slowly down the steep staircase, the rest of his team behind him. They had rested for almost an hour and a half earlier in the day before starting the journey down. Kai was walking, now, since he was almost at full strength again, and they all seemed to have recovered from the incident on the bridge. The sun was beginning to set, now, and they were almost at the bottom of the mountain. Cole decided that they would keep walking for a few hours after night fell, to get an edge over Tara's gang. Unless they were walking through the night too. Hopefully Ming would slow them down. Cole sighed. He sure hoped that they could catch up with them before they left the Cursed Realm. They wouldn't have much of a chance of finding them, otherwise. Thus engrossed in his thoughts, Cole stepped off the stairs, not noticing the glowing figure to his left until she sent him flying into a wall.

"What the-" the earth ninja sat up, shaking his pounding head, to see that he was surrounded by ghosts. "Ambush! Look out!" he yelled in alarm.

"Ambush? What am- urk!" Jay yelped as Bansha cracked him over the head with the handle of her blade, knocking him out. Cole heard the ring of metal on metal as the others armed themselves. A few moments later, something hard hit Cole in the head and everything went black.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Kai yanked his katana out of its sheath, thrusting it in front of him just in time to block a ghost's attack. Next to him, Indigo grabbed a ghost's arm and it went limp after a few moments, allowing her to steal its' sword and swipe at another ghost with it as her eyes lit up. Kai caught a glimpse of Jay and Cole being dragged away, unconscious.

"They're trying to take us down one by one!" he yelled to the others as three ghosts ganged up on Gin and knocked her out with a fist-sized rock. "Watch out for sneak attacks!"

"Right!" Nya sprayed water in a circle around her, causing the enemy ghosts to flee but barely missing Morro and Indigo.

"Watch it!" Indigo yelled as she ducked a sword swing.

"Sorry!" Nya called back, pulling out a bo staff to use instead.

"Don't use your elemental powers unless you have to!" Zane shouted, taking charge. "It makes you too vulnerable!"

"Got it!" Kayson replied, smoothly taking out two ghosts at once with his twin katanas. Unfortunately, he was knocked out moments later and crumpled to the ground. Then Zane was down. Then Indigo.

"We're losing!" Kai shouted in alarm, realizing that only he, Morro, and Nya were still fighting. And most of the ghosts were fine. Suddenly, a bright light shone over them, blinding all the fighters and stopping them in their tracks. Kai heard a high-pitched battle cry and shouts of alarm from the enemy ghosts.

"Retreat!" Bansha hissed from somewhere in the white light. Soft footsteps were heard running away and the bright light began to fade. Kai blinked a few times, disoriented, as the light gave way to relative darkness. After a few seconds he spotted the silhouette of a girl a few feet away from him, and as his eyes adjusted, he saw that she looked about his age and had brown eyes and slightly-tangled brown hair in a ponytail. She was wearing a light pink ninja gi without a hood, and she was watching the ghosts flee. After a few moments she turned to him, smiled, and said,

"That was close. What's going on here, Kai?"

"...do I know you?" Kai asked in confusion. The girl frowned.

"Yes. You've known me for years. Are you okay?" she knelt down next to Jay, who was unconscious on the ground, and put a hand on his forehead. After a couple seconds, the blue ninja's eyes flew open and he sat up abruptly.

"Whoa! What just happened? Who are you?" he asked the strange girl. She looked surprised.

"Don't you remember me? Maybe the hit on the head made you lose your memory." she suggested.

"Um, I didn't hit my head, and I don't remember you." Nya spoke up.

"Neither do I." Morro added. The girl spun around to face the ghost, her eyes narrowing with rage.

"You! This is all your fault!" she whipped out an aeroblade and threw it at him. He stepped out of the way and caught it. Undeterred, the girl leaped at him as she drew a black-bladed sword and tried to hit him with it. Morro blocked the hit with the aeroblade and stepped back as her hit threw him off balance.

"What are you doing? Stop!" he demanded as she swiped at him. "What did I ever do to you?"

"You _know_ what you did, jerk!" she shoved him and he stumbled backwards, almost falling. He jumped up to a ledge on the mountain with a tiny boost of wind as she tried to stab him. "Get down here, coward!" she hissed.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Time out!" Jay stepped in front of her and grabbed the weapon out of her hand. " _What_ 's all his fault?"

"Why are you defending him?" she demanded.

"Just answer the question. Pretend I lost my memory and don't remember anything." he suggested. The girl sighed exasperatedly.

"Fine. My name is Andreea. I'm the pink ninja. You're the blue ninja. This _cretin,_ " she paused to glare at Morro. "altered the destiny scrolls in Cloud Kingdom to make himself be the Green Ninja instead of Lloyd."

"No I didn't." Morro frowned.

"Shut up! You did! And then you took over Ninjago with the help of your mistress, the Preeminent!" she looked around. "...where am I, anyway? Where's Lloyd?"

"You're in the Cursed Realm." Jay supplied helpfully. "And Lloyd's-"

"Aha! I knew it!" Andreea shot a beam of light at Morro, who dodged it. She tried to shoot again, but was tackled from behind by Indigo, who had apparently woken up while they were talking.

"Don't you dare." the ghost girl growled, shoving her to the ground. They wrestled for a second before Andreea blinded Indigo with a flash of light and pushed her off. Indigo grabbed her arm and, after a couple seconds, the brown-haired girl gasped and slumped over. Jay pulled Indigo away, who instantly recoiled and went limp, effectively stopping the fight. Morro jumped down and ran over to Indigo's side.

"Alright! Before anyone else starts fighting..." Jay helped the dizzy Andreea to her feet. "what was the last thing you did before coming here?" he asked her.

"Morro sent me through a portal." she replied after a moment. "He said he was tired of me getting in his way and was sending me to the Cursed Realm. But lightning struck the crystal and I blacked out. When I woke up, I was here."

"Aha! Exactly what I thought!" Jay declared proudly. "Kai, remember that time I was out flying my plane and when I came back I was blabbering about eye patches and carnivals?"

"Yeah." Kai nodded. "What's your point?"

"Lightning struck the plane while I was flying, and I got sent into another universe." Jay explained. "One where I never joined the ninja team and the Serpentine took over Ninjago. I helped beat them and get my counterpart to do what he was supposed to." he said with a grin. "Anyway, I think Andreea is from another timeline. Where Morro changed his and Lloyd's destinies and is still evil."

"Waaaait... you mean... he's _not_ evil now?" Andreea frowned. "Really?"

"Really." Kai nodded.

"So... if he didn't change the scrolls, then what did he do?" she asked in confusion as Morro helped Indigo to her feet.

"He... nothing. He took the sword and left the realm. We went after him and Lloyd gained control just long enough to give me the sword." Kai answered.

"Wait, Lloyd was still under his possession?" Andreea asked. "In my timeline, Morro let Lloyd go and wounded him to distract us while he changed the scrolls." she shot Morro a murderous glare as he looked at the ground.

"Yep. So, we got the sword back, but then Ronin gave it to Morro in exchange for freeing his cursed soul. Morro double-crossed him and used his body to trick us into going to the caves of despair. We almost died there but Ronin sent his airship and we went to the tomb of the first Spinjitzu Master, where we traded the Realm Crystal for Lloyd. Morro then released the Preeminent and Nya defeated her with her true potential. Morro apparently died, but then Lloyd found him in an alley a few months later. They became friends and eventually Morro told us that Lloyd's father was alive and well. Well, if you count chained up in the Cursed Realm as "well". Anyway. We travelled halfway across Ninjago, up through an active volcano and a portal, across the Cursed Realm, and finally ended up here, where Garmadon is stuck. Lloyd's up there right now, with him and Jessica." Kai took a deep breath. "And this is Indigo. She's the Master of Void and Morro's girlfriend. She's a bit nuts so I wouldn't make her mad."

"Hey!" Indigo snapped.

"And this is Kayson," Kai continued, ignoring Indigo's outburst and gesturing to the black-haired teen on the ground. "he's sort of an artificial elemental master, and can sing really well but don't expect him to admit it. And this is Gin. I don't really know much about her." he shook his head. "Any questions?"

"Who's Jessica?" Andreea asked.

"A friend. Some sort of daredevil." Jay shrugged. "Now, who are you?"

"Andreea Hikaru Kibo, pink kunoichi, Master of Diamond, and Lloyd's girlfriend." she replied, straightening up to her full height. "Though... since you don't seem to recognise me... I assume I'm not part of your team in this timeline."

"Nope. We've never met you." Kai shook his head as Jay snorted.

"Lloyd's _girlfriend_? That's gonna be awkward." he chortled. "Well, I guess your hatred of Morro makes sense now, what with what he's done in your timeline. But he and Lloyd are great friends now, since Lloyd befriended him over a month ago." Jay paused. "Wow, it really has been a while, hasn't it?"

"Friends?" Andreea shot a suspicious glance at Morro, who was still looking at the ground. Indigo met Andreea's eyes and bared her teeth at her in a silent snarl. "I guess if Lloyd trusts him, then so will I." the brown haired girl shrugged. "So, why are you guys down here and Lloyd's up there?"

"We're going after Clouse, who escaped with a woman named Tara and her friends Alex and Ming. Those two – Alex and Ming – are pretty much innocent, but Tara and Clouse are ruthless." Kai replied gravely.

"Hey, I wouldn't say that. She did rescue us from that ghost jail, after all." Jay broke in. "Clouse is pretty nasty, but Tara has some good in her."

"And those ghosts attacked you?" Andreea asked.

"Yeah. They're still mad we escaped from their jail about a week or so ago." Nya nodded.

"Ah. Why are you chasing Clouse?"

"We think he might be able to break the curse on Garmadon's chains." Kai said.

"Then we should get going! Let me wake up the others." Andreea bent down and put a hand on Cole's forehead, waking him up after a few moments. "Healing is one of the attributes of the element of Diamond." she said as their confused looks. They nodded and started to fill Cole in on what had just happened as Andreea woke up the rest of the team.

* * *

 **GREETINGS ONCE AGAIN FAITHFUL READERS! TIS FFF HERE AGAIN! You'll notice, person-who-owns-Andreea-whose-username-I-forget, that I used some elements from your story, which YOU need to UPDATE! :D Oh, I locked Lloyd in a closet, by the way, so hopefully I can finish this A/N before someone finds him. And you won't be getting another CHAPTER today because I didn't WRITE one because I was on a SUGAR HIGH and I COULDN'T STOP TALKING FAST. Anyway. I changed Andreea a bit, cause she seemed a BIT TOO PERFECT. So now she has ANGER ISSUES. Speaking of ANGER ISSUES SHE JUST FOUND LLOYD THIS WON'T END WELL GOODBYE CRUEL WORLD**

 **Lloyd: Well, Andreea and FFF are battling, so I guess we can do questions while we wait.  
FFF: THEY DRUGGED THE MASHED POTATOES, I'M TELLING YOU!  
Lloyd: Uh... can someone get her out of here?  
KRR: No problem.  
Windy: Come on, FFF.  
FFF: Where's my staff? The eyes took it!  
** **Indigo: I can do questions. First question is from Samantha Rutledg, and it's for Lloyd. "Do you ever miss being a kid again?"  
** **Lloyd: Occasionally. Being a kid had much less responsibility, but I was also treated like a baby.  
** **Kai: We never treeated you like a baby!  
** **Zane: Yes we did.  
** **Lloyd: See?  
** **Indigo: Cool. Okay, second question is from ElvenPrincess, and it's "Do you think you will ever rebuild P.I.X.A.L.?"  
** **Zane: Didn't I already answer this one once?  
** **Cole: Maybe.  
** **Zane: Well, I certainly will. I am sure that Jay and Mr. Borg can assist me.  
** **Jay: 'Course!  
** **Indigo: Right then. That's all the questions we have, so, bye!  
FFF: Don't let the eyes get me!**

 **~FFF**


	48. Calm

**Hey everybody! FFF is back. Fortunately, those drugged mashed potatoes wore off. That mini vacation I took yesterday helped. It was very relaxing. I didn't have to worry about getting a chapter out in time, and I got to work on my giant killer robot... what? Jay is helping me. It shouldn't explode randomly anytime soon.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **Visatoarea10: No problemo. Looking forward to reading the next chapter of your story. :D**

 **Angel: I'll warn her about that. Although I think she might've already figured it out, due to the whole brandishing-the-chainsaw thing. Lol poor Clouse. He deserves it, though, for making Indigo cry. Now I'm thinking of Clouse as a snake... xD I like snakes. And Clouse. So I would probably hug him. xD That must be creepy. O.O Bad TV! }:(**

 **KRR: Darn it! Now Jay is a ghost! (Jay: No I'm not.) Oh yeah. He got one of them magic necklaces. You were burning the second episode? O.o Thanks for the cookies! :D**

 **Samantha Rutledg: Andreea belongs to another Fanfiction writer, who asked me to put her in. No harm done.**

 **TheFlamingShogun: Fortunately, I am now back to normal! :D Mostly. I know, right? Jay actually did go to another universe in a Ninjago comic book. Yeeeeaaaah... poor Lloyd. xD**

 **And someone finally got the LEGO movie reference! Mount Vetruvious is a reference to Vitruvius, the blind wizard-y guy in the LEGO movie. Not the same spelling, though, cause I didn't know how it was spelled. xD**

 **There's a two-day time skip here... cause nothing intresting happens until then. On to le chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 46

Lloyd lay on the cold ground against a wall, eyes shut like he was asleep. He wasn't, though, and was contemplating the events of the last week. It had been almost two and a half days since the others had left. Lloyd, his father, and Jessica had done a lot of talking, played a couple games, and ate. They were running out of food, though. There really wasn't much to do in the small cave. At least he had plenty of time to catch up on his sleeping. They had done a lot of getting up in the middle of the night during the journey. As much as he loved beind with his father again, Lloyd wished he could leave. He felt cramped and tense in the small chamber, and the sight of his father hanging limply from his chains made him miserable, though he tried to hide it. He dearly hoped that the others would catch up with Clouse soon. Suddenly, a female voice echoing through the tunnels made him open his eyes.

"Now we go this way..."

"I think we've already been here." a deeper voice replied.

"Nonsense! My navigation skills are impeccable!" the girl retaliated. "...oh wait, we have been here before."

"Let's try this way." the voices were getting closer and Lloyd sat up, seeing Jessica do the same next to him.

"Hey! I'm leading here!" the girl argued. Lloyd heard running footsteps, and, a moment later, two oddly familiar ghosts appeared at the top of the hill, one male and one female. The girl stared at Lloyd and narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Hey Damien, that guy looks familiar." Something clicked and Lloyd's eyes widened.

"Techi? Damien? What are you doing in the Cursed Realm?" he asked in surprise.

"Aha! Now I remember you!" Techi grinned triumphantly. "You're the grasshopper guy who defeated the Overlord once! I built T.E.C.M.I. for you!" Lloyd blinked.

"Why do people keep comparing me to grasshoppers...?" he muttered. He saw his father and Jessica giving him questioning looks, so he explained. "We met these two back in Ninjago, in a town at the base of Mount Vetruvious. But... what are you doing here?" he asked, turning back to the two ghosts. "And what happened to you?"

"We're on vacation." Damien replied.

"In the _Cursed Realm_?" Jessica asked, skeptical.

"Techi talked me into it." the tall teenager shrugged.

"Yeah, and we accidently fell off a cliff, so now we're... Damien, what was that word again?"

"Ghosts." the taller boy supplied helpfully.

"Right. So now we're ghosts. Also Damien proposed to me, so if you see anyone who could marry us, could you let us know?" Techi smiled innocently. The three in the cave stared at her blankly for at least ten seconds before Jessica spoke up.

"I'm confused." Techi let out a long, drawn-out sigh.

"Hi, My name is Techi. This is my fiance, Damien. Grasshopper guy and his gang met us back in Ninjago. Ninjago is a realm. This is not Ninjago. This is to Cursed Realm. Robots are cool. Where was I going with this? Never mind." she shrugged.

"I could marry you two." Lloyd looked over as his father spoke up. "But I'd need my hands free. And a Bible."

"How would you get your hands free? A key?" Techi asked curiously.

"A spell." Lloyd's father shook his head. "I don't suppose either of you know any magic?"

"Nope. None, zilch, nada. Right Damien?" Techi turned around to face the taller ghost.

"My name's actually Lloyd, not grasshopper guy..." Lloyd muttered. His father chuckled.

"There are worse nicknames." he assured him.

"Where is the rest of the grasshopper gang, by the way? I was sure there were more of you." Techi peered into the dark corners of the cave, as if expecting someone to pop out.

"They went after Clouse, who is a guy that knows magic." Jessica replied as Lloyd silently smacked his head against the wall at the nickname. "I don't know when they'll be back."

"Hi everyone!" Gin chirped, appearing behind the two ghosts and startling everyone. "Don't who you two are." she added as she passed them. "The ninja sent me back with more chocolate bread, since they think they'll be gone for a while longer."

"Gin! Hi!" Jessica greeted her happily as the younger girl descended the hill towards them. "Are you staying, or do you have to go back to the others?"

"Gotta go back." Gin shook her head.

"Aw." Jessica frowned.

"But before I leave, I can tell you all about the crazy things that happened since we left!" Gin dropped her bag of food on the ground and sat down against one of the pillars Lloyd's father was chained to. Techi and Damien glanced at each other before Techi shrugged and walked away, Damien following a second later. "Who were those people?" Gin asked.

"Some... sort-of friends." Lloyd shrugged. "So, what happened?"

"Well, Kai fell off a cliff..."

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Jessica sat against a wall, silently sucking on a lollipop. Lloyd was lying on his side next to her, fast asleep. Gin had left a few minutes ago, after telling them about that girl Andreea. Jessica had to admit, she was jealous of the girl from another universe. Jealous of her relationship with Lloyd. Jessica was moderately sure that she loved the green ninja. What had started as a silly fangirl crush had blossomed into real feelings for him. Unfortunately, he wasn't showing any signs of loving her back. It was obvious when Morro and Indigo started crushing on each other, watching each other when they thought the other wasn't looking and sneaking away to talk quietly. Lloyd wasn't doing any of those things. Then again, it was unlikely that all people showed love the same way. Jessica heard a soft shuffle and looked up to see Garmadon, half-kneeling on the ground with his eyes closed and his head bowed like he was asleep, but his lips were moving silently. Praying, maybe? After a moment, she walked over to him and sat down a couple feet away from him silently. Almost a minute later, he opened his eyes and noticed her watching him.

"What were you doing?" she asked curiously.

"Thanking God." he replied.

"For what?" she frowned in confusion. "You're chained up in a giant prison."

"But I'm not alone." he said with a smile. "I have you and my son with me. And when I was first sent here, God sent Gin to take care of me."

"You're right." Jessica nodded. "Is it hard to thank God for the good things, when so many bad things are happening too?"

"Sometimes. You just have to have faith."

"Yeah..." they were both silent for a few moments. "Sensei Garmadon...? Um, what should I call you?" she asked awkwardly after a few moments.

"Gin calls me "Garmy"." he replied after a second. Jessica laughed.

"Is that what you meant when you said there were worse nicknames than grasshopper?" she asked, giggling.

"No. I don't mind it." he smiled. "You may call me that, or just Sensei or Garmadon."

"Okay." she nodded. "Well... I think I'm in love with Lloyd."

"Oh?" he raised an eyebrow. "Does he know?"

"I don't think so." she shook her head. "I don't know if he loves me back. Scratch that, I don't think he does. What should I do?" Garmadon paused a few moments before replying.

"Observe him carefully when he talks to you or about you, as opposed to one of the others."

"Has he talked to you about me at all?" she asked before he could continue.

"Maybe." he smiled. Jessica's eyes widened.

"He has? What did he say?" she asked eagerly.

"I didn't say he did. I said maybe."

"But you implied he did." she paused. "Did he tell you not to tell me?"

"That's really none of your buisiness." he closed his eyes, still smirking.

"You're not very convincing." she remarked. When he didn't answer, she giggled and stood up, walking back over next to Lloyd and sitting down next to him. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back against the wall, mouthing silently, "God, thank you for Lloyd..."

* * *

 **Ooh, true love confirmed. I wonder what Lloyd said about her? :D**

 **FFF: Come on everyone, time to answer questions!  
Andreea: Questions? What questions?  
FFF: Sometimes the reviewers ask questions. I didn't let you in before because you hadn't been introduced.  
Andreea: Ah.  
FFF: Okay, first question's from Angel Star Ninja. I'm not really sure if this was intended to be a question, but I'm counting it as one. And it's for me. "if all the OCs didn't know they were OCs how would you explain it to them?"  
Gin: What are OCs?  
FFF: Well... you are. You're not a real Ninjago character.  
Indigo: What?  
FFF: You aren't either. Neither are Tara, Ming, Alex, Tellen, Ness, Anna, Andreea, Jessica, Damien, or Techi.  
Morro: What does that even mean?  
FFF: Ack! Don't get that near me! I'm just saying, Indigo isn't a real- AGH!  
Andreea: AHA! I KNEW HE WAS EVIL!  
Indigo: Oh yeah?!  
Lloyd: Well, that escalated quickly. Morro, Indigo, Andreea, please stop fighting...  
Andreea: Whatever you say, Lloyd!  
Morro: Fine.  
FFF: Yeah, leave me alone. Cough. Well, I hope that answers your question, Angel. I would get clobbered. Ahem. So, Angel had another question. This one's for Morro. It's "Morro you seemed kinda scared when Lloyd found you in the alley why?"  
Morro: The last time I had seen Lloyd, I had trapped him in another realm. I was pretty sure he hated me. I was afraid he would attack me, and send me back to the Cursed Realm.  
Lloyd: But I didn't.  
Morro: No.  
FFF: Aww, Wind Energy friendship. Call me a sucker. Anyway. Last question's for Jay, from Samantha Rutledg.  
Jay: Finally, one for me!  
FFF: The question is, "Could you get anymore ADORABLE?!"  
Jay: Honestly? I don't think so.  
Kai: Pfft, you're not adorble. You're bouncy and peppy.  
Jay: Same thing. And at least I can spell.  
FFF: Very true. Do I need to sign you up for spelling lessons, Kai?  
Kai: I'd like to see you try!  
FFF: Bring it on!  
Lloyd: And while they fight... bye!  
FFF: BYE!**

 **~FFF**


	49. A Change of Heart

**I'm actually a bit surprised I got this out today, what with it being so long. Anyway, I'm gonna let Lloyd take over doing the A/N, cause I'm tiiiirrred...**

 **Hey everyone! Lloyd here again. FFF went to a party next door, and apparently it was kinda crazy. I saw her running all over and climbing 30 feet up in a tree... cough. Here are some review replies she wrote earlier.**

 **Review repliezzz:**

 **Angel: Oh dear, people are obsessed with my FFN. xD I will listen to that song sometime when I get a chance. DARN BRAIN! You have no idea how many times my brain has done that. But never with Ninjago stuff. Usually either getting a cat/kitten or getting superpowers. xD Yeah, KRR writes good reviews. ^ ^**

 **KRR: Angel Star Ninja likes your short stories. xD And that one was funny. Those two. Watch out for Jake! O.O HOW DARE YOU SWEAR YOU LITTLE- please stop me before I shred him.**

 **Samantha Rutledg: I do indeed. ^ ^ I know. Those two...**

 **Windy: No worries! I don't mind. :) Maybe if you get an email address... Yeah, I ship Lloyd and Jessica rather than Lloyd and Andreea. ^ ^ And so does Garmadon. I don't think Lloyd would like it if I told you. xD You'll find out eventually, though. ^ ^**

* * *

Chapter 47

Indigo trudged across the soft ground next to Morro, looking up at the mountain in front of them. They had made it across the Cursed Realm in record time, only 4 1/2 days so far instead of over a week like before, and were nearing the mountain with the portal at the top. On the other hand, this time they hadn't been captured by evil ghosts. Gin had caught up with them the previous night. She was surprisingly fast for such a little girl. Though they were moving as fast as they could, Indigo couldn't get rid of the nagging voice in the back of her mind that said they weren't going to make it. Tara and her group must be already on the mountain, It seemed inevitable that they would fail. Indigo's worry must have been showing on her face, since Morro squeezed her hand gently and smiled from beside her. She smiled back at him before turning back to the path. The first thing her eyes alighted on was that girl, Andreea. She frowned. It wasn't that she disliked Andreea herself (that much), it was the reminder of the universe she came from. Apparently, that version of Morro did some pretty nasty stuff. Indigo would like to go knock some sense into him. Although, she probably wouldn't have the heart. She loved him too much. She wondered what the other version of herself was doing. She'd probably never met Morro, though, if he'd helped this Preeminent thing take over Ninjago, she probably either hated him or feared him. She didn't think of herself as the fearful type, but... wow, it was weird thinking about herself as someone else. Her other self was way worse off than she was in this universe.

"Is something wrong?" Indigo blinked at Morro's voice, and realized that she was gripping his hand tightly.

"No." she shook her head, relaxing her grip on him. "Just thinking about that other dimension Andreea was talking about."

"Oh." Morro's eyes shifted to the ground. "Right."

"What the other Morro did isn't your fault." she frowned, looking up and meeting the taller ghost's eyes. "It's... actually probably Andreea's fault. Since that seems to be the only difference between our timelines, she must have caused it indirectly."

"Maybe so. But I did possess Lloyd, and I did free the Preeminent. It was only because of the ninja that I didn't curse the sixteen realms. And I did hurt Lloyd, to distract the ninja or otherwise, it doesn't matter. I hurt all of them." he stopped walking and closed his eyes.

"You didn't hurt me." she said after a moment with a smile, hugging him. He hesitated a moment before hugging her back.

"I could have."

"But you didn't." They stood there for a few moments before Kai yelled back at them,

"Hey lovebirds! Keep up!" Indigo responded by letting go of Morro and bending down to pick up a rock from the ground. She threw it in Kai's direction, but it fell short by a few feet. Morro chuckled and took her hand again as they ran to catch up with the others.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Cole stopped at the foot of the mountain and craned his neck to look up the nearly vertical wall ahead of him.

"Sooo... there should be stairs somewhere here, right?" Kai spoke up behind him.

"Yeah. Come on." Cole turned to the right and began to walk around the edge of the mountain. After about fifteen minutes, they found the bottom of the staircase. However, before Cole could approach it, a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"I sense something is wrong here..." Zane's mechanical voice sounded worried. "We should proceed with caution." Cole nodded as Zane removed his hand and started walking forward. He stopped short with a gasp when from behind a rock floated a very familiar bowman.

"Surprise!" Soul Archer rasped, an arrow already fitted to his bow.

"Wha- how'd you get here before us?!" Jay asked in shock?

"Bansha sent me a message, so my men and I came here to head you off." On cue, two dozen more ghosts appeared from behind the rocks. About half of them moved around behind the travellers, surrounding them.

"What do you want with us?!" Morro demanded, pulling Indigo closer to him protectively.

"You imprisoned. All of you. You, most of all." Soul Archer lifted one hand off his bow to point at Morro. "For joining with those filthy humans. Oh – and what happened to your girlfriend?" the archer smiled coldly. "Killed herself so you could be together forever? How sweet." Indigo whispered something to Morro, and he shook his head with a smile. "Whatever. You won't escape us this time. You're outnumbered, your powers are useless – yes, I know about that – and your precious pink ninja won't save you this time!" Soul Archer released the arrow and it flew towards Andreea, striking her in the chest before she had a chance to flee. The others stared in horror as she flew backwards and lay on the ground, unmoving. A few seconds later, she sat up, blinking.

"Deepstone gi." she said with a grin as the ghosts next to her stared at her in shock.

"...alright then." Soul Archer muttered. "Plan B!" a ghost next to Andreea cracked her on the head with his sword hilt and she fell limp.

"Get ready to fight, everyone!" Cole yelled, pulling the scythe strapped to his back into his hands. The others armed themselves as the ghosts started to close in on them.

"Single them out and defeat them one by one!" Soul Archer ordered, pulling another arrow out of his quiver and fitting it to the string of his bow. "And don't bother keeping them alive. They will serve their punishment just as well as ghosts."

"We're doomed." Jay's shoulders slumped as a mob of ghosts approached him.

"No! We can beat them! Everyone, stay close together!" Cole ran over to the blue ninja, standing next to him as they faced the ghosts. "Ninja never quit!"

"Nope. Ninja never quit." Kai echoed. "Die? Maybe. But never quit."

"Kai, shut up and fight." Nya smacked him lightly as she positioned herself next to him and Kayson. A moment later, the ghosts charged forward. The battle had begun.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Tara stopped short on the stairs that corkscrewed up the side of the mountain at the sound of a scream. She looked over the edge of the path to see, almost directly below her, the ninja and a large group of ghosts locked in combat. Ming looked over as well and caught her breath.

"Oh no..." she whispered. "They don't stand a chance. Not without their powers." she looked up at Tara with wide eyes. "We have to help them!"

"Dear, we can't." Tara shook her head. "We're too high up to do anything about it. And besides, then we'd lose our lead."

"Who CARES?!" Ming demanded. "They're doomed if we leave them! We can't just sit here and do nothing!"

"We're not. We're walking away." Tara turned and resumed walking.

"Get back here!" Ming grabbed her shirt and yanked her back. "Tara! They are going to die! You have that crystal! You're the only one who can save them!" she said forcefully. Tara shook her head and pulled her shirt out of Ming's grip.

"It's not my problem, Ming."

"It is! They're your friends!"

"They are not! I will not help them!" Tara spun around to face the younger girl. "I don't help people! I don't care!" she whirled around and began stomping up the stairs.

"I bet you will." Ming spoke up quietly.

"Huh?" Tara turned around to see her still standing by the edge of the path.

"I bet you will help them." Ming hesitated a moment longer before jumping over the edge of the cliff.

"MING!" Snatching the crystal out of her bag, Tara summoned a gust of wind that caught the falling girl and lifted her up, setting her back on the stairway. Ming stood up and met Tara's eyes with a grin.

"See? You do help people! You helped me!" she said triumphantly. "There is good in you! See?" Tara sighed in defeat and looked down at the crystal in her hand.

"You're right." she said after a few moments. "I will help them." With a wistful smile, Tara took the crystal and tossed it over the edge of the cliff.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"Kai! MOVE!" Kai ducked just in time at a warning from Kayson, narrowly avoiding a slice from a ghost's blade. As he sent the attacker flying with a well-aimed kick, Kai glanced around to check on the status of the other ninja. Zane's left arm was chopped off at the elbow, but it didn't seem to be bothering him. Jay had a cut on his left shoulder that was bleeding lightly and a light scratch on his cheek, Nya's leg was bleeding, and Kayson had just been unarmed. The black-haired teenager was grabbed by a ghost before Kai could help him and thrown towards Andreea, Gin, and Morro, who were unconscious at the edge of the battle. Indigo was there as well, awake but tied up securely. Kai himself was, so far, unharmed. Just then, Jay was knocked to the ground and a ghost lifted his blade to deliver the killing blow. Kai tackled the ghost to the ground, wrestling with him for a few seconds before he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and was thrown off. Closer inspection revealed a nasty-looking stab wound there, making his sword arm useless. As Kai lay motionless on the ground, a sparkle in the air caught his eye. A moment later, there was a tinkling crash and an explosion of color blinded him. As a beam of red light was absorbed into him, Kai instantly knew what had happened. Before he blacked out from blood loss, he heard Jay yell triumphantly,

"Now you're cooking with gas! Or should I say... ELECTRICITY!"

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Soul Archer looked on in horror as the one-armed nindroid, the blue and black ninja, and the black-haired girl summoned their elemental dragons and rose into the air. The girl sent a wave of water out that scattered his troops, and the blue ninja zapped them all, stopping them in their tracks. Finally, the nindroid froze them all solid except for Soul Archer himself. Nervously, the bowman floated backwards as they landed and three of them approached him, the girl running back to free the captured members of her team. There was no way he could take even three of them all at once. Panicking, he turned around and floated as fast he could. An ice wall appeared in front of him before he could get far, though. He turned around again to see Morro's girlfriend stomping up to him, a furious look on her face. She stopped in front of him and punched him directly in the face, which made the three ninja burst out laughing.

"That's for locking us up!" she growled before turning around and stalking off to help the water master with the injured members of the team. As the ninja laughed, Soul Archer took the opportunity to slip away. He would get revenge.

Maybe.

Someday.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"We have our powers back!" Kai cheered, pumping his fist in the air and instantly letting it fall again with a shout of pain. "Ow."

"I told you not to move." Kayson rolled his eyes. Andreea has healed the party's wounds most of the way, but they were still sore. Kayson and Nya were patching them up the rest of the way as Jay tied off the wires on Zane's destroyed arm, since he didn't have the materials to fix it. Indigo was sitting next to Morro, waiting for him to wake up.

"Well, we have Tara to thank for that. Again." Cole said. "We've probably lost her, though, by now..."

"Look!" Gin shouted, pointing at the mountain. The others' heads turned to see Tara, Ming, Alex, and Clouse descending the last few stairs and stepping off the mountain.

"You... you came back?" Zane asked in surprise.

"We did." Tara nodded.

"So you'll help us free Garmadon?" Jay asked eagerly.

"That's why you were chasing us?" Tara looked surprised. "I thought you just wanted the crystal."

"Well, that too. But apparently Clouse can break Garmadon's chains." Jay said, looking at the sorcerer. Clouse nodded slowly.

"Yes, I do know a spell that should work."

"Garmadon's gonna be freed? Alright!" Gin cheered.

"Who are you?" Ming asked in confusion.

"We can have introductions later." Cole spoke up. "Andreea, can you wake up Morro?"

"Sure thing." the pink ninja nodded.

"Then do so. As soon as he's up, we're flying back to the mountain."

* * *

 **Wow, le long chapter. FFF back. I have to be here for questions, right?  
**

 **FFF: THEY GOT THEIR POWERS BACK, YAY!  
KRR: FINALLY! And don't you dare hurt my Kai, you little ******* ghosts...  
FFF: What did I say about swearing?  
KRR: I'm not swearing. I'm typing *********.  
FFF: Whatever.  
Windy: Not only that, but Clouse is going to free Garmadon!  
FFF: I can't wait. I bet Lloyd can't either.  
Lloyd: Nope!  
Windy: What did Indigo say to Morro, by the way, right before the fight?  
Indigo: I asked if I could punch him in the face.  
Morro: Too many ghosts. But she did afterwards. It's too bad he got away.  
FFF: Yeah. Okay, we got 2 questions. First is for everyone, from Samantha Rutledg. "** **If you could have any super power, what would it be? And it can't be the one's you already have. Aim higher.** **"  
Lloyd: Flight!  
Jay: Invisibility!  
Kai: Super strength!  
Zane: I am not certain. I suppose... invincibility.  
Cole: Laser eyes!  
Morro: A superpower? Hmm. Telekinesis, I suppose.  
Indigo: Flight!  
Gin: Super strength!  
Ming: Telepathy!  
Tara: The ability to create things out of energy! Think Green Lantern.  
Garmadon: Super powers? Uh...  
Lloyd: You know, superheroes!  
Garmadon: ...flight, I suppose.  
Wu: No comment.  
Garmadon: Wimp.  
Wu: Shut your mouth.  
Alex: Telekinesis.  
Kayson: Telepathy.  
FFF: Telekinesis. Okay, that's everyone we're going to do. Last question is from Windy.  
Windy: Morro, what's your favorite kind of cookie?  
Morro: Um... chocolate chip.  
FFF: Okay then. Bye folks! Gotta go watch LotR some more!**

 **~FFF**


	50. Freed

**JUMP UP KICK BACK WHIP AROUND AND SPIN! AND THEN WE'LL JUMP BACK DO IT AGAIN! NINJA-GO! NINJA-GO! COME ON, COME ON, COME ON, AND DO THE WEEKEND WHIP! Wondering why I'm singing that? Two reasons. 1. It's the weekend. 2. My Ninjago minifigures came! They weren't supposed to get here until at least Nov. 25th! Not that I'm complaining. So now I have Season 5 Kai, Jay, Zane, Cole, Lloyd, Nya, Sensei Wu, and Morro. And a bunch of swords and extra hands. And two Realm Crystals. And my fingers are sore because I spent an hour this morning putting on hands and arms. Why would they package them without the arms? :P ALSO WE HAVE OVER 350 REVIEWS NOW YAY**

 **Review replies:**

 **KRR: Kai... *facepalm* How is Kayson doing? Give him some of my magic Author candy. It heals random problems and broken bones. ^ ^**

 **Angel: I just listened to Bad Blood. It does make me think of Indigo. xD You should check out Sensei Garmadon's channel on Youtube. He makes the coolest stuff. ^ ^ Oh yeah. Nya being a ghost would just be wrong. (Nya: *tries to use powers and blows self up*) I dreamed that Sensei Garmadon was in my backyard last night. I realized it was a dream when my (now dead) cat was there. O.O It was nice seeing him again, though. :)**

 **Breana: I know, awesome, right?**

 **Dragonborn: Yes indeedy! :D They destroyed the Realm Crystal. Lloyd thought about it briefly back in the volcano. He was like, "I wish we hadn't destroyed the realm crystal. Really would've come in handy."**

 **Windy: I think you'll like this chapter. ;D I can't tell you how happy I am that you like this so much.**

 **Wow, that chapter title looks hopeful. GO READ IT**

* * *

Chapter 48

"This is AWESOME!" Jay whooped, his dragon doing a barrel roll. "It feels so good to have our strength back!"

"Watch it, clown!" Andreea snapped as his dragon's wing grazed hers. He only grinned and flew farther away with another spin. She sighed and steered her dragon through the pack up to the front, next to Cole. "So, how long do you think it'll take us to get there?" she yelled to him over the wind.

"Well, judging from how far we've gotten already," Cole glanced at the sun to his left. "we would be there tonight if we didn't stop. But I think we should, to rest and build up our strength. Just because we're back up to full strength doesn't mean we can go one forever. "

"Sounds good to me." Gin said from where she sat behind Cole, clinging to him tightly. It wasn't that she was afraid of heights, but who wouldn't be scared of riding on a dragon at high speeds hundreds of feet in the air? Andreea nodded and let her dragon fall back again. Gin looked to her left, to distract herself from the altitude, and her eyes alighted on Morro's green and black dragon. Indigo was sitting behind the Wind master, clinging to him tightly with her face buried in his shoulder. Apparently she was afraid of hights. Gin turned to her other side and saw the white-haired boy, Alex, she thought, flying nearby with Li Ming sitting behind him. Despite the fact that she was twice her age, Gin thought that Ming acted a lot like her. They had had a brief conversation earlier, and Ming seemed like a really nice person. Funny, she was the same age as Kayson, but they acted completely differently. Kayson was quiet and reclusive, while Ming was cheerful and friendly. Indigo was 14 too... no, 15. She was pretty quiet, but apparently she was more friendly before she was turned into a ghost. All the rest were around 17 or 18. Except for Morro, but it was hard to tell his age since he was a ghost. He looked about 16, though.

"Okay everyone, let's stop for the night." Cole said from in front of her, startling her out of her thoughts. She glanced over at the sun as the Earth dragon began to slow, discovering that it was indeed night. Soon they were on solid ground again, and after a quick meal of lemon-stuffed zucchini, Cole assigned Kai and Kayson to stay up and guard Tara and Clouse. He didn't exactly trust them not to run off. Gin lay down at the edge of camp and stared at the stars until she fell asleep.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Morro's eyes opened slowly and he lifted his head to see the sun peeking over the horizon. He sat up slowly, wondering what had woken him up. After a moment, he realized that Indigo was gone from where she had been sleeping beside him the previous night. He located her a second later, standing at the edge of the camp facing their destination his her hands clenched into fists at her sides. He stood up and walked over next to her, seeing that her eyes were closed as well. He stood there for a few moments, since she apparently didn't notice he was there, before speaking up.

"What are you doing?" she jumped and opened her eyes.

"You startled me." she remarked. "I was trying to summon an elemental dragon." she relaxed her fists and looked up at him. "How do you?" Morro frowned, trying to remember how he was taught to.

"...I don't know." he shrugged. "It's just instinct, for me. I think about it, and I do it. Like... walking."

"Well that's not very helpful." Indigo frowned and turned back to the mountain.

"Sensei once told me that I need to control the fear inside of me." he said after a moment. "Are you afraid of something?"

"I guess." she replied dully.

"Of what?" he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. She hesitated a few moments before answering.

"Of not being accepted. I never had any friends for years, except for Daggerclaws," she looked over her shoulder at her cat, who was sleeping peacefully on Ming's lap. "And now that I do... I'm afraid that they aren't really my friends." she looked up at him and met his eyes. "Is that wrong?"

"It took me a long time to trust Lloyd and the other ninja." Morro shook his head. "I had the same fear. Tara even used that fear to try to create distrust between us. I let my fear control me then." he closed his eyes for a moment before continuing. "If you let fear take over, it will cast a shadow over everything in your life."

"That sounds like something a Sensei would say." Indigo remarked.

"It's just something I've learned on this journey." he smiled. "Don't worry. The only people who aren't your friends here are Tara and Clouse, and they're not pretending to be." she nodded and turned back to the mountain, closing her eyes again. After about 30 seconds, there was a flash of purple light and a purple and gold dragon mateialized in front of them. Indigo opened her eyes and squealed.

"Yes! I did it!" she cheered, running closer to the glowing beast. Morro smiled and folded his arms as she hopped into the dragon's saddle and took off.

"Wha's going on?" Kai asked sleepily, coming up behind the Wind master.

"Guess." Morro replied, watching Indigo fly. Kai mumbled something about breakfast and turned around, walking back to camp, leaving Morro to watch Indigo silently.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"Everyone off! Last stop for Prison Mountain!" Jay yelled as the pack of dragons landed on the ledge at the entrance of the mountain. It was about midday now. Despite that fact that Indigo had unlocked her elemental dragon, she still insisted on riding with Morro. Apparently her fear of heights was just as strong as before. After dematerializing their dragons, the party once again entered the mountain. It took them about an hour to make it to Garmadon's chamber, where he, Lloyd, and Jessica were waiting for them.

"You're back!" Lloyd jumped to his feet as Cole, who was leading the procession, appeared in the tunnel. "I felt my powers return! What happened?"

"It's a funny story, really." Jay said with a grin as they all entered the room. "We got ambushed by Soul Archer and a bunch of his goons, then Tara destroyed the crystal and saved us. Then she and Clouse agreed to come back with us. Oh, and Indigo unlocked her dragon." he added.

"Cool." Lloyd nodded. "Well, thanks Tara. You seem to be making a habit of saving us."

"I try." Tara smirked.

"And Clouse..." Lloyd turned to the sorcerer, looking worried and almost scared. "...can you free my father?"

"Prehaps." Clouse replied. "I'll do my best." he turned and walked across the cave, stopping in front of Garmadon. "I thought I'd seen the last of you when you pushed me into that portal." the sorcerer muttered, fingering Garmadon's chains.

"You tried to push me in first." the Sensei reminded him. Clouse smirked and stepped back, closing his eyes and starting to chant in another language. His hands glowed with something like purple fire, Garmadon's chains doing the same. The room darkened and Clouse raised his voice. Garmadon grimaced and Lloyd took a step towards him, stopping when Jay grabbed his arm. Clouse opened his eyes and thrusted his hands forward, ending the chant as the room flashed white and Garmadon's chains shattered, throwing him to the floor.

"Dad!" Lloyd broke away from Jay and dashed forward, kneeling next to his father as Clouse lowered his hands. Garmadon opened his eyes slowly and pulled one arm underneath him, using it to prop himself up.

"I'm... free." he murmured, looking at his raw, scraped wrists. Lloyd pulled him into a hug and he returned it. Gin pumped her fist in the air and Kai and Jay fistbumped. When Garmadon and Lloyd pulled away from each other, there were tears running down the green ninja's face. Garmadon pulled him close again as Lloyd whispered,

"I've missed you so much..."

"I'm here now." Garmadon murmured. Smiling, the older man turned his head towards the others, who were watching at the mouth of the cave. "Thank you, all of you. Without your help, Lloyd and I would never have been reunited." he said. "You too, Clouse." he added, turning to the sorcerer, who had his hands clasped behind his back. Clouse smiled and nodded once.

"I only did it for Tara." he replied. "But you're welcome all the same."

"Then thank you, Tara. Despite what I've heard about you, you seem to be a good person." Garmadon said, turning to her.

"Toldja." Ming whispered. Tara rolled her eyes with a smile.

"Well, thanks, I guess." she shrugged. Garmadon turned back to Lloyd and closed his eyes, tightening his arms around his son. Cole smiled at the pair in the center of the room. Mission accomplished.

* * *

 **FFF: WOOHOO! THEY FREED GARMADON!  
** **KRR: *throws confetti*  
** **Windy: *does Jazzitzu*  
** **FFF: Now! Let's do some questions. First is from Samantha Rutledg, for Zane. "After your enemies found out you were a robot, did any limbs get sliced off?"  
** **Zane: It wasn't exactly like they were trying not to slice my limbs off before... but yes, I have lost arms and legs in fights before. Before I was rebuilt, it was incredibly painful if I didn't deactivate the remains. Now they are deactivated automatically.  
FFF: Lovely. Okay, next is from Angel Star Ninja. Morro, "if you every met the Overlord if you could would you beat him up for hurting Lloyd?"  
** **Morro: Yes. Of course.  
Angel: That's what I thought.  
FFF: Hey! This is my A/N!  
Angel: KRR and Windy get to be in here.  
FFF: ...good point. Anyway, you had another question, right?  
Angel: Sort of. ALL WHO WANNA STAB SOUL ARCHER WITH HIS OWN ARROWS SAY I!  
Lloyd: I!  
Kai: I!  
Jay: I!  
Zane: I!  
Cole: I!  
Morro: I.  
Indigo: I!  
Jessica: I!  
Andreea: I!  
FFF: ...anyone who doesn't?  
Everyone: ...  
FFF: Okay then.  
Angel: One more! Soul Archer do you like Bansha?  
Soul Archer: Yes. She is a fine warrior.  
Angel: Whatever. Be nice to her or I'll stab u with my deepstone knives.  
FFF: I'd listen to her. Ahem. Next three questions are from Breana. The first is for everyone. "What's your favorite kind of candy?"  
Kai: Spicy taffy!  
Jay: ****Licorice!  
Cole: Snickers bars!  
Zane: I do not have a favorite. I like any kind of chocolate.  
Lloyd: I have to pick ONE? Uh... I like peppermint wheels!  
Morro: Caramels.  
Indigo: What's candy?  
FFF: Sweet tasty thingies.  
Indigo: Don't think I've ever had candy.  
FFF: You're missing out.  
Jessica: Lollipops!  
Andreea: Rock candy!  
Kayson: ...I don't really do candy.  
Ming: Raspberry hard candies.  
Alex: Chocolate.  
Tara: Licorice.  
FFF: These everyone questions are always long... anyway. Next is for the four original ninja. "What's it like performing on stage?"  
Jay: You mean like when we won that dance competition for the fangblade? It was fun.  
Cole: Kinda scary though, with everyone watching us and judging us.  
Zane: I agree with Cole. Though, the Serpentine attacking helped distract us from that.  
Kai: Hey, I was born for the stage.  
Jay: You wish.  
Kai: And what's that supposed to mean?  
FFF: ...and last question is for Lloyd! Still from Breana. "If you could have anything in the world, what would it be?"  
Lloyd: ...um...  
FFF: *whispers* how about a brontosaurus with headlights  
Kai: What the ghost?!  
FFF: Heheh, just something from a show my little sibs were watching... lol  
Lloyd: ...I really have no idea. Probably something like a machine that makes candy out of thin air.  
FFF: Still obsessed with candy, I see.  
Lloyd: I'm not obsessed! I can like candy if I want to. And you should talk. I've seen your candy stash.  
FFF: What's your poi- wait. You what?  
KRR: Guess I'll finish this up, since FFF ran off. That was the last question, so, bye everyone!  
FFF: BYE!**

 **~FFF**


	51. Back to the Volcano

**I didn't actually notice this 'till I posted the chapter yesterday, but... THIS NOW HAS OVER 50 CHAPTERS! *throws confetti* GET OFF TUMBLR AND WRITE FANFICTION SELF**

 **Review replies:**

 **Dragonborn: I don't think I'm building up to anything big... but the plot could run off again. xD**

 **Samantha Rutledg: Nah. Still have a few chapters to go. Maybe 4 or 5.**

 **Windy: I know, that chapter was so awesome. :D Your spell check is evil. It changed Garmadon to Haram don. *facepalm* Lloyd is so happy now. ^ ^**

 **KRR: How does he manage to get so hurt just by lying in bed? O.O Oh dear. Don't be so grumpy, Kayson.  
**

 **Angel: Oh, you'll see eventually. That's actually foreshadowing for the sequel for this... :D**

 **SOMEONE MAKE ME GET OFF TUMBLR  
**

* * *

Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Lloyd rarely left his father's side for days after Garmadon was freed. The Sensei was very weak after hanging in those chains for months, and could barely walk without help. Though they all wanted to go back to Ninjago as soon as possible, Lloyd insisted that they stay a few more days to let his father recover. To pass the time, the adventurers played card games, wandered around the mountain, or, in Jay's case, complained that there was nothing to do. They stayed in the cave for almost four days before Lloyd decided they could leave. After packing up their stuff, they started to leave through the tunnel out, but were interrupted by Chen, who spoke up from his cage.

"Wait! Can't you let me out?" he asked hopefully. Lloyd stopped and frowned at him.

"Why should we? You're the reason my father was here in the first place." Lloyd turned to his father, who had his arm wrapped around Lloyd's shoulders to steady himself.

"Besides, wouldn't you just go back to Ninjago and try to take over again?" Kai folded his arms. "I don't think so."

"You let Clouse out!" Chen argued.

"Actually, Tara did." Cole spoke up. "And besides, we needed him. You're just a treacherous evil guy."

"So's Clouse. Why not lock him back up, at least?" Chen asked, grinning at his former student. Clouse took a nervous step backwards.

"It's _your_ fault that he's evil." Tara snarled at the evil mastermind. "You trained him to be like that. And me too. He's coming with us back to Ninjago."

"He is?" Jay asked. Cole smacked him.

"Yes. He is." Tara replied as Jay yelped.

"At least let me out of this cage." Chen pleaded. "I won't leave the Cursed Realm. But if you leave me in this cage I'll die of starvation!" Lloyd and Garmadon exchanged glances.

"He's right." Garmadon said after a moment. "As much as he deserves it, it would be a cruel fate for us to leave him to." he fixed Chen with a pointed stare. "But you must never return to Ninjago."

"Eh, don't worry about it. I don't even know the way back." Chen grinned innocently. Tara glanced at Lloyd, who nodded, before sighing and whipping out her deepstone knife. She sliced it through the bars twice, making them clatter to the floor. Chen leaped out of the cage with a cackle and took off down the hall. "Mwahahaha! I'm free! You won't be seeing the last of me, Ninja!" Within a few seconds, he had vanished.

"Should we be worried?" Kai asked after a moment.

"Nah." Cole replied, starting to walk again. A few seconds later, the rest of the team followed.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Garmadon sat by the dying fire, staring into the embers as the ninja and most of their friends slept around him. They had flown more than halfway to the mountain on their dragons that day, stopping to make camp just after nightfall. He couldn't sleep, though. His body was too stiff from hanging in those chains for months on end for him to lie down comfortably. He glanced to his left, where Lloyd was sleeping beside him peacefully, and smiled. His son had gone through so much the last couple of years. He was sorry that he hadn't been there to help him through all of it. He was glad, though, that Lloyd had his friends to support him. Even Morro. Garmadon looked over at the far side of the camp to see the ghost boy lying on the ground next to his sleeping girlfriend, staring at the stars. He had changed a lot over the past month or so, according to Lloyd. They appeared to be very close now, like Lloyd was with the other ninja. Lloyd was close with Jessica, too, though in a different way. Lloyd said that he was unsure of his feelings for her, but it definitely wasn't just friendship. And since Jessica appeared to have feelings for him as well, Garmadon suspected that romance would soon blossom. He chuckled softly and stroked his sleeping son's hair. He had missed Lloyd terribly all those months he was trapped in the mountain. He spent most of his time wondering how he was faring. He dreamed about him every time he fell asleep. His dreams were a great comfort to him, since they were the only place he could be free of the accursed chains. Gin was his other comfort, bringing him food and talking to him for hours at a time. He marveled at the maturity of the little girl, she acted years older than she really was. Though, she must have been forced to grow up fast since she lived in such a dangerous place. She had told him that she didn't remember her she'd gotten there, but she remembered being here for a year at least. He wondered how she had come here. Perhaps in a rogue portal, like Andreea had. Gin was almost like a daughter to him now, they had bonded so closely over the months they'd known each other. But she could never replace Lloyd. Which reminded him.

"Morro." he called softly across the camp to the ghost boy, who sat up and met his eyes. "Thank you for taking care of Lloyd." Morro nodded silently and looked down at the ground. Garmadon smiled. The lust for power was gone, replaced by a protectiveness, a desire to help his friends. He almost seemed... shy. Nothing like the proud, spiteful youth he had met in Ninjago City. "Morro..." he started, catching the ghost's attention. "I'm sorry for what I did to you."

"It's alright." Morro murmured in reply, barely audible from across the camp, before lying back down on his side next to Indigo. Garmadon sighed quietly and lay down slowly next to Lloyd, wincing as his abused body ached in protest. He put an arm around his son and closed his eyes, letting sleep overcome his mind.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

The next morning, the ninja and co. once again summoned their dragons and flew the remaining distance to the top of the mountain in a little more than an hour. Ming wasn't looking forward to going through the portal again, but at least it didn't last long. Soon this adventure would be over. She felt weird. As they landed, Zane pointed something out.

"Before we leave, we need to do something about the portal. The ghosts know it's here, don't they? They could use it to march an army on Ninjago."

"True." Kai nodded. "So what do we do? Destroy it?"

"Then we couldn't get through." Lloyd shook his head. "And there's Vengestone on the other side, so we can't from that end." the group was silent for a few moments as they thought before Alex spoke up.

"We could destroy part of the mountain path." he suggested. "We can fly over it, with our dragons, but ghosts can't fly."

"Good idea. Lloyd?" Cole turned to the green ninja, who nodded.

"Go ahead." he said. Cole turned around to face the stairs and clenched his fists, the ground underneath them vibrating slightly. Soon, the stairs in front of them crumbled, breaking off the mountain and plummeting towards the trees below. The black ninja turned around with a satisfied smile on his face.

"Shall we go?" he asked, walking into the tunnel. Ming and the others followed. Kai jumped through the portal, followed by Jay and Jessica. Ming jumped in as well, and was tumbled around in the purple void for half a minute before getting spit back out on the other side. As she sat up, Gin nearly crashed into her.

"Sorry." the younger girl chirped as she jumped to her feet. As the others flew out of the swirling portal as well, Ming noticed for the first time that the ground was shaking violently.

"Wh-wha-what's h-happening?" Jay yelled, his voice shaking because of the vibrations.

"According to my calculations..." Zane's eyes widened as he got to his feet. "...this volcano is about to erupt."

* * *

 **And before you ask, no, they can never catch a break.**

 **Readers: Wait, what? What did Garmadon do to Morro?  
Me: Not telling. It's foreshadowing for my next story after this one. :D I'll give you a hint, though. It's based on a theory I heard on Youtube.**

 **FFF: We gotta do questions fast 'cause I don't have much time.  
Kai: Why don't you have much-  
FFF: NO TIME FOR CHIT-CHAT! Question for Kai: "Are you ever going to ask Skylor out!? She totally went for a kiss after the anacondria war!" It's from Samantha Rutledg!  
Kai: Yeah. We've gone out a couple times since the-  
FFF: NEXT QUESTION! Morro, Windy wants to know if you're good at spelling.  
Morro: I am. Now, Kai...  
FFF: NEXT QUESTION! For Lloyd and Morro from Count Raptor: "Have you even met Samukai, king of the skulkin?"  
Lloyd: Nope.  
Morro: I did once. He sort of yelled at me and I blew him into a pit of lava.  
Garmadon: Good for you.  
Kai: Hey, why did you interrupt me but no one el-  
FFF: NEXT QUESTION! Another one from Count Raptor for Garmadon! "what happened to that fool (Samukai) anyway he was already dead so where the heck did he end up?"  
Garmadon: I don't know.  
FFF: OKAY END OF QUESTIONS BYE**

 **~FFF**


	52. Run!

**Soooo... in exactly a week I will be having surgery on my finger (again). So I'll be taking a break from writing for a little while after that while my hand heals. Cough. I think this story will be done by then, though. Also today is my dad's birthday so HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD *throws cake* whoops. I knew that confetti tasted odd.**

 **Review replies:**

 **Dragonborn: My favorite Ninja is Lloyd, and my favorite villain is Morro, or, if we're counting him as a good guy, the Overlord.**

 **Count Raptor: Nuuuu. That would spoil it. And I actually don't remember where I saw it. :P Maybe I'll give out some more hints.  
**

 **Angel: Hey, foreshadowing is cool! :D Don't u dare stop making one-shot ideas I love writing them. Lol that short story idea made me laugh and I will totally write it. You probably won't see it for a while, though, 'cause I've actually written... three other one shots on paper and have yet to write them in. *facepalm* Oh well. I'll try to work on that. AND I STILL HAVEN'T WRITTEN WIND RIDER DARNIT  
**

 **Catiefurballgirl114: Aha! I knew I wasn't the only one who said snap! :D**

 **KRR: Seriously? That's... horrible. And yet funny at the same time. xD Those doctors need to learn not to carry bricks around. It's supposed to be a hospital, not a death trap!**

* * *

Chapter 50

"What?! The volcano's going t-to WHAT?!" Jay demanded, the rumbling making his voice vibrate.

"Erupt." Zane replied. "Lava will flood most, if n-not all, the tunnels in this mountain."

"I KNOW!" Jay yelled over the rumbling. Zane looked confused.

"Then why d-did you-" he was interrupted by Kai, who yelled.

"We don't have time for this! We n-need to get out of here, NOW!"

"I agree with Kai," Morro said, trying to remember the way out. "but it took us days to get through this mountain before. How will we get through before it erupts?!"

"We'll just have to run as fast as we can." Cole said grimly. "There's no time for anything else. Let's go!" the black ninja ran towards the edge of the gap, jumping towards the rope that still hung in the middle and grabbing it, swinging safely to the other side. Jessica, Kai, Jay, and Gin followed. Zane paused as he was about to jump and turned to Lloyd and Garmadon.

"Can you make it across?" he asked the older man. Garmadon opened his mouth to answer him, but Clouse spoke first.

"I have another way." he murmured a spell and a glowing, purple bridge appeared across the chasm. "Hurry! It will not last long!" Morro grabbed Indigo's hand and they and the others still on that side ran across the bridge, which vanished just after the last one stepped off.

"Which way?" Jessica shouted over the rumbling, pointing at three tunnels out. Lloyd hesitated for a few moments before saying,

"Zane, do you know the way?"

"Yes." the nindroid replied. "I have a mental map of the tunnels we traveled through. This way." he led them down the center tunnel. Pebbles began to fall from the ceiling, and the travellers ran faster. They ran for almost 15 minutes straight before they came to the lava-filled chamber with the rope across it where they had split up before. Kai didn't even stop to rest before grabbing the rope and starting to climb across, hand-over-hand. The others started to follow, and after a couple minutes only Morro, Indigo, Garmadon, Lloyd, Ming, Tara, and Clouse were left. Lloyd turned to his father with a worried expression on his face.

"Dad..."

"I can do it." Garmadon assured his son.

"But you can barely walk!" Clouse exclaimed from behind him.

"I didn't know you cared." Garmadon smiled ruefully. "But it's not like we have any other choice. Unless you-"

"Uh, guys?" Indigo pointed into the pit. "The lava's rising." Morro looked down and, sure enough, the deadly liquid was rising towards them, slowly but steadily.

"Indigo, can you climb over?" Lloyd asked the ghost girl. She looked doubtful.

"Maybe..." she started.

"You can't." Morro shook his head. "You're not used to being a ghost. You would go through the rope."

"Oh..." she reached up and passed her hand through the rope. "Right."

"I can't climb over either." Ming piped up. "What do we do?"

"I don't know! There's Vengestone in the walls, so we can't use our powers, and it's too late to go around! Clouse, can you make another bridge?" Lloyd turned to the sorcerer, who shook his head with a frown.

"Too far. It would take too much energy and wouldn't last long enough." the seven stared at each other in panicked silence for a few moments until a large chunk of rock dislodged from the ceiling and splashed into the lava, sending a wave of the glowing, red liquid crashing against the cliff they stood on.

"We're going to die." Indigo whispered. Morro blinked and turned to Lloyd.

"Lloyd, you and your father can climb across. We'll find a way to join you."

"Alright..." Lloyd said slowly. "Come on, Dad." They both grabbed the rope and started to climb across it.

" _You_ can get across." Indigo pointed out. "So can Clouse and Tara. It's just Ming and I who can't."  
"I'm not leaving you behind." Morro shook his head. "We'll find a way."

"We better." Tara muttered, looking at the rising lava. Morro turned to the other side and saw Garmadon letting go of the rope on the other side and collapsing to the ground. Lloyd jumped onto the ledge and helped his father to his feet.

"Got it!" Ming exclaimed. "You can carry us across!"

"How? Our hands will be full holding onto the rope!" Morro frowned.

"We can ride piggyback." Ming replied.

"It's the best plan we've got." Tara nodded gravely. "I say we do it."

"For once I agree with her. We don't have any other choice, except staying here to die." Indigo agreed. "And I don't like that option."

"Alright. Tara, you get Ming. I'll take Indigo." Morro instructed. "Clouse, you go ahead. Tell the others to keep going, we'll catch up." Clouse nodded and started to climb across the rope. Ming climbed on Tara's back and they were about to go when Morro stopped them, tying her and Ming together with a short piece of rope. As they started off, Morro saw Clouse arrive on the far side. A few seconds later, he and the others ran off down a tunnel. "Come on." Morro said, to Indigo, who nodded and climbed onto his back, wrapping her legs around his waist and holding onto his shoulders tightly. Once he was sure she was secure, he murmured, "Hold on tight." before grabbing the rope and starting the perilous journey across the rising lava.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Lloyd ran through the dark tunnels, lighting the way with a green orb in one hand and supporting his father with the other. He was reallt worried about Morro and Indigo, that chamber was filling with lava fast. He was afraid for the others too, but he wasn't as close with Ming, and frankly he bore no affection for Tara. His father stumbled and Lloyd slowed to help steady him, reminding himself to stay focused as he did.

"Zane, take the lead!" he yelled to the nindroid. "Guide us through the tunnels!" the nindroid nodded as he sped up in order to move to the front of the group.

"Guys! Wait up!" Ming's voice echoed through the tunnel behind him. Lloyd slowed down a little, calling for the others to do the same. After a few moments, Ming and Tara caught up to them.

"Where are Morro and Indigo?" he asked them loudly over the rumble of falling rocks.

"Don't know." Tara replied with a shrug. "Wasn't paying attention to them."

"I was." Ming piped up. "They're a couple minutes behind us. Indigo almost fell and is kinda freaked out."

"So... they're alright?" Lloyd asked with a frown.

"Probably."

"Right." A chunk of rock dropped from the ceiling at their left, crashing to the ground and causing a crack to grow up the wall. Lava started to flow out, slowly at first but getting faster. "Zane, How much further?" Lloyd yelled desperately. The ice ninja was silent for a few moments before replying.

"At our current speed, we should be there in twelve and a half minutes." he informed them. Another rock fell and the resulting tremor sent Lloyd crashing to the ground, bringing his father with him. Lloyd struggled to his feet and tried to pull his father up as well, but the older man shook his head.

"I can't run anymore..." he murmured breathlessly, almost inaudible with the crashing around him.

"You have to!" Lloyd pleaded, pulling on his arm. "We have to get out of here!" Lloyd heard footsteps behind him, but didn't look up until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Lloyd." he jumped at the voice behind him and spun around to see Morro and Indigo standing there.

"You're okay!" he exclaimed.

"We won't be if we stay here much longer." Morro pointed to the tunnel behind them and Lloyd turned to see a red glow on the walls. Lava.

"But we can't leave my dad here!" he insisted. Morro reached down and picked up the older man, who thanked him quietly and closed his eyes.

"Now let's go." Morro started running down the tunnel, away from the lava, Lloyd and Indigo quickly following. They soon caught up with the others, who had stopped when they realized Lloyd had fallen. They started running again, barely gaining on the wave of lava that crept slowly towards them.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Wu walked into the computer room of the monastery to see Misako sitting in one of the chairs with her laptop, frowning at something at the screen.

"Something wrong?" he asked, walking over to her.

"Mount Vetruvius is erupting." she replied gravely, tilting the laptop towards him so he could see. On the screen was a live feed of the volcano, from a nearby helicopter. Lava was starting to leak out of the crater of the mountain.

"Oh dear." Wu muttered. "I hope the ninja aren't in there."

"Look!" Misako exclaimed suddenly, pointing to a spot about halfway down the mountain. Wu saw a tiny blue figure running across a ledge and jumping off into space. A few seconds later, a bright blue elemental dragon materialized and the figure shot into the air. He flew close to the helicopter and waved.

"It's Jay." Wu said in surprise. Misako nodded and the two watched as about ten more figures emerged from the volcano, a couple of them following Jay off the cliff and onto their dragons and the rest stopping on the ledge. One of them appeared to collapse, but was pulled to their feet by someone else and they all jumped over the cliff as lava began to spill out of the hole they had come out of. A flock of dragons were soon hovering near the mountain as lava flowed down the sides. After a few moments, the dragons turned and began flying down to the ground, but before theu could get out of the camera's range, Misako gasped and pressed a button on the keyboard. She clicked on something and her screenshot came up on the screen. Wordlessly, she pointed to something on the screen. Wu looked closer and saw that, sitting behind Lloyd on his green dragon, was a figure with grey hair.

* * *

 **Yep. Now they're happy. And the ninja and co. didn't even get burned to a crisp in the volcano! :D Gotta be excited about that.**

 **Kai: Are there any questions for us?  
FFF: One. None for you.  
Kai: Rats.  
FFF: The one we do have is for Garmadon. It's from Count Raptor. "how come when you have four arms everybody freaks out but when samukai, those stone warriors and the overlord have four arms no one cares?"  
Garmadon: Samukai and General Kozu are/were monsters. I was a mortal man. A poisoned, evil one, but still a man. And the only reason the Overlord had four arms was because he was possessing me.  
FFF: Makes sense. Oh, and, Garmadon, NinjaMelissa says "hi".  
Garmadon: Hello!  
FFF: By the way, did I tell you about the dream I had last night?  
Nya: Nope.  
FFF: The boy that my sister has a crush on was at our house and he was threatening to burn it down.  
Kai: Good for him!  
KRR: As much as I like burning things up, Kai, shush.  
FFF: And then Morro showed up.  
Morro: Nice.  
FFF: And it was so realistic I told my mom in the dream that "If this was a dream, I would have woken up by now".  
Kai: Perceptive.  
FFF: Shut up! Wait. You can spell now?  
Kai: Nah. I went to spelling lessons, but mostly I just learned how to use spell check.  
FFF: Almost as good. And then Morro and I defeated the evil Bae Leaf.  
Lloyd: Bae Leaf?  
FFF: That's what my sister calls him.  
Lloyd: ...okay. Then what happened?  
FFF: Then I woke up and forgot my dream for about two hours before remembering it. Well, I gotta go. Sayonara, everyone!  
Lloyd: What does "Sayona-  
**

 **~FFF**


	53. Home

**Sorry this is late. I was at Youth Group again last night. We had pizza, though, so I wasn't drugged. :D Anyway, I got a couple one-shots out. Not requests from anyone here, though. But keep an eye on that, 'cause I'll be writing a lot of those over the next few days.**

 **Review repliezzz:**

 **Angel: I'll get Wind Rider out eventually. I've planned the plot out in my head, so I should be able to write it soon. :) I actually totally forgot about the kite one... *facepalm* thanks for reminding me. ^ ^' Odd, you act like you ship Mordigo. Meh. I liked this story about ZaneXNya and I totally don't ship _them_ , so... yeah. I will be writing lots of one-shots over the next few days, since I've finished writing this story on paper.**

 **KRR: Aww. Poor you. :( Hope you feel better. Agh! Kai! Don't read that stuff! It'll give you nightmares! Trust me, I know... XP O.O Jesus was in your mini story? :D I want to hug him. ^ ^ Cole4life... xD**

* * *

Chapter 51

Lloyd let his dragon vanish and he and his father rolled onto the grass. Lloyd lay on his back and stared up at the sky, panting heavily.

"That was close." Indigo remarked from where she was sitting on her purple dragon.

"No kidding." Jay replied, muffled due to him lying facedown on the ground. Lloyd stared at the wispy clouds floating across the blue sky. They were back in Ninjago. His father was back in Ninjago. Well, the technically were as soon as they went through the portal, but they didn't have time to celebrate because they were about to get fried by lava. His father's thoughts seemed to be following a similar course, as he sighed deeply and said,

"It's good to be back." Lloyd turned his head to see his father lying on his back in the grass with his arms outstretched and his eyes close, a contented smile on his face. Lloyd smiled too. He had missed seeing his father smile.

"Are we just going to lie on the ground all day, or what?" Tara asked boredly.

"Shut your piehole, Tara." Cole replied. "We just got out of an erupting volcano. Give us a break." Tara grumbled quietly, but shut up. Lloyd closed his eyes, feeling incredibly tired all of a sudden. He lay there for a few moments, enjoying the heat of the sun on his face, before he slipped into an unexpected slumber.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Garmadon opened his eyes and sat up. As much as he would like to lie here for hours, they needed to get home. He turned to his left to see Lloyd lying limply on the grass, his chest rising and falling steadily. Asleep. His son must be more tired than he was. Garmadon glanced around to see most of the others lying on the ground as well. Cole and Gin were having a heated argument about whether pie or cake was better, and Kai and Jay were watching with interest. Nya was laughing at them. Indigo and Morro were lying on the ground together, talking quietly enough that he couldn't hear them, and Clouse was leaning against a tree with his hands clasped behind his back in their usual position. Tara and Ming were having a friendly conversation and Kayson was once again listening to music. How did he get his iPod out so fast? Odd. Alex had his legs crossed and appeared to be meditating. Garmadon turned back to his sleeping son and ran a hand through his soft, blond hair. It would be a little while until they left, since they would have to either wake Lloyd up or wait for him to wake up on his own. Besides, Cole and Gin's argument didn't look like it would end anytime soon. Sometimes Garmadon wished that he, Misako, and Lloyd were just a normal family. That they wouldn't have to deal with nindroids and ghosts and Anacondri and anything else that threatened Ninjago. That the worst things they would have to battle were illnesses, or depression. But, Destiny had made it like this. And it was impossible to change it, so they might as well accept it. Lloyd shifted slightly in his sleep and Garmadon stroked his hair again. He enjoyed watching his son sleep. He had missed almost all of Lloyd's childhood, due to his banishment to the Underworld and Tomorrow's Tea, and, now that Lloyd was the green ninja, he rarely saw him in such an innocent and vulnerable state. Just then, Lloyd opened his eyes, blinking tiredly in the sun.

"What... did I fall asleep?" he murmured.

"Yep." Garmadon looked over his shoulder to see Jessica sitting behind him. "And... you look cute when you're asleep." she blushed.

"Um... thanks." Lloyd blushed too. Garmadon chuckled softly.

"Oh back off." Andreea snapped from a few feet away.

"We're not dating in this universe, remember?" Lloyd said, turning to the pink kunoichi. "Wait until you get back to your own."

"Sure! Whatever you say, Lloyd!" Andreea chirped. Lloyd blinked in confusion at her sudden change in mood, but shook it off.

"Hey! Fancy meeting you here!" a familiar voice said brightly. Garmadon turned around to see none other than Techi and Damien standing under a nearby tree.

"Wait, what are you doing here?" Lloyd asked, surprised. "I thought you were still in the Cursed Realm."

"Nah. After that Chen guy married Damien and I-"

" _Chen_ married you?!" Jessica asked in shock.

"Sure. He's a Sensei, isn't he?" Techi shrugged. "Anyway. After he married us, Damien and I flew to the top of the mountain on my elemental dragon and went-"

"You have an elemental dragon?!" Lloyd interrupted.

"Yes! I'm the Elemental Master of Technology! Stop interrupting!" Techi frowned at the blond boy before continuing her story. " _Anyway_ , we went through the portal and ran around the mountain for a few hours before finding the exit just as the ground began to shake. We're been wandering around this area ever since. We were about to fly back to Limong when we bumped into you guys. Wanna ride back with us, Ming?" Ming blinked at the sound of her name and turned around to face them.

"What?"

"Techi wanted to know if you want to ride with us back to Limong." Damien clarified.

"Um... no thanks. I want to see how this adventure ends." Ming shook her head with a smile.

"Whatever floats your boat." Techi shrugged. "Come on, husband dear!" A neon green and blue dragon appeared and the two hopped on, taking off into the sky a moment later. Garmadon watched them fly away for a few moments before turning back to Lloyd and saying,

"We should get going too. I would like to get home today." Lloyd looked at the midmorning sun and nodded.

"Come on, guys." he said, getting to his feet. "Cole, Gin, stop fighting."

"Pie! Pie! P- huh?" Gin looked over. "Oh. Whatever." she shrugged and walked over to Ming so they could board Alex's dragon. "Pie." she whispered to Cole one last time.

"Cake." he whispered back as he summoned his earth dragon. Lloyd rolled his eyes at them before turning back to Garmadon.

"Hey Dad, do you have an elemental dragon? Sensei does."

"I do." Garmadon replied after a moment.

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"I wanted you to learn how to summon yours yourself. I did give you a hint, though. Remember?" Garmadon recalled the time Chen had thrown them out of a plane, sending them plummeting towards the island below, with one less parachute than they needed. Lloyd had given him the last one, taking his advice and controlling his fear in order to summon his dragon for the first time.

"Yeah, I remember." Lloyd nodded. "What does your dragon look like?" he asked, holding out a hand.

"Black and gold." Garmadon replied, taking the offered hand and pulling himself to his feet. "If it's alright with you, I'd rather ride with you on your dragon than summon my own. You're much stronger than I am at the moment."

"Sure." Lloyd materialized his glowing, green dragon and he and Garmadon climbed aboard.

"Hey Lloyd, why didn't we ride on our dragons on the way here?" Kai called from his fire dragon.

"No idea." Lloyd shrugged. "I guess we just forgot." with that, he took off, the rest of the flock following him.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Just as the sun was going down that day, the flock of dragons landed in the courtyard of Garmadon's monastery.

"You live here now?" Garmadon asked as the dragons vanished and he and Lloyd landed on their feet.

"Yeah. Sensei's training some kids, like you used to do, and he didn't think you'd mind." Lloyd replied.

"I don't." Just then, the door opened and Anna ran out, shrieking. She ran up to the ninja and hid behind Zane.

"Help! Tellen got a bucket of rotten tomatoes and is throwing them at ev- hold it." she stepped away from Zane and gave him and the others a weird look. "Aren't you guys supposed to be in an adventure? And who are you weird people?" she asked, turning to Tara.

"Um..." Lloyd started, but was interrupted by a rotten tomato flying past him and landing on Tara, who exclaimed in disgust. Tellen ran out the front door with another tomato, flinging it before he realized what was going on. It flew through Cole and fell harmlessly on the grass.

"Tellen! We talked abaout this! No throwing tomatoes, rotten or otherwise!" Kai scolded.

"Yeah, sure, whatever. SENSEI! THE NINJA ARE BACK!" the younger boy yelled into the monastery. He glanced at them again before adding. "AND A BUNCH OF WEIRD PEOPLE!"

"How come we're weird people?" Gin asked.

"...they're a bit crazy." Cole coughed. Lloyd was about to speak when Misako appeared in the doorway. Her eyes widened and she ran towards them, almost stumbling in her haste, and wrapped her arms around Garmadon as tightly as she could. He hugged her back, closing his eyes and resting his head on her hair.

"Gently." he murmured as she squeezed him tight. "I'm still not fully healed from my captivity." she only smiled in response. This touching scene was interrupted when another rotten tomato flew by, hitting Kai squarely in the forehead.

"TELLEN!" the fire ninja shouted, sending Tellen shrieking into the monastery as he chased him. Garmadon and Misako laughed, still hugging.

"Ah, I missed you so much." Garmadon said, opening his eyes.

"The feeling's mutual." she replied. "Lloyd, come here." Lloyd walked over obediently and she pulled him into the hug as well. "I missed you too."

"As did I." the three looked up to see Sensei Wu standing there. "Good to have you both back." he said with a smile, setting his hands on Garmadon and Lloyd's shoulders. Garmadon set a hand on his shoulder as well and smiled back.

"It's good to be home." a tomato flew towards his head and he ducked just in time. "Even if we are being bombarded by flying tomatoes." he added. The rest of his family laughed at that.

"So... who are all these?" Misako turned to Kayson, Clouse, Indigo, and the others, who were standing with the ninja (excluding Kai because he was chasing Tellen).

"Let's go inside." Garmadon said. "We can do introductions there." Misako nodded and the Garmadon family walked towards the monastery, miraculously avoiding the flying tomatoes. Lloyd smiled as they walked inside, the others following. They were home. His family was back together.

* * *

 **...And then he got hit by a tomato.**

 **Lloyd: No I didn't.  
FFF: Shush! Remember this, aspiring fanfiction writers. You can't have a good reunion scene unless someone's throwing tomatoes.  
Garmadon: But when Lloyd and I were reunited there were no tomatoes.  
FFF: ...oh yeah. Hmm. Well, then I guess that wasn't a good reunion scene.  
Lloyd: But the reviewers loved it!  
FFF: True. Well, I guess the tomato rule only applies when the students are around.  
Tellen: You mean us?  
FFF: Gack! Watch out for tomatoes!  
Kai: Tellen, get out of here. Ahem. Got any questions for us, FFF?  
FFF: Yep. One from Samantha Rutledge. It's for all the ninja. "Can you describe the villain of your nightmares?"  
Zane: Of course. Most of my nightmares are either being killed by the Overlord or trapped by Master Chen.  
Kai: I don't usually have nightmares, but when I do they're either about Morro or demons.  
Jay: Slime deer, and occasionally getting eaten by the Great Devourer.  
Cole: My nightmares are always about Yang's haunted temple.  
Lloyd: Either Morro or the Overlord...  
Morro: I'm sorry.  
Lloyd: I know.  
Nya: Do I count as a ninja?  
FFF: Sure.  
Nya: I have nightmares about getting captured by Skulkin, when I have nightmares at all. I usually end up beating them up in the end, though.  
Darreth: Do I count as a ninja?  
FFF: No. Bye!  
**

 **~FFF**


	54. Farewells

**...**

 **It's the last chapter.**

 **Why**

* * *

Chapter 52

The next few months were peaceful for the Ninja and their friends. Most of those that they had met along the way left after a couple weeks. Tara, Ming, and Clouse went back to Limong to start a new life there, while Kayson simply left "to find his purpose in life". Kai insisted that he come back and visit every once in a while, though. Alex left to wander the world some more, and Jessica left to make things right with her parents, at Lloyd's insistence. He said it was okay if she wanted to come back and stay with them after that though. Even Andreea made it back to her own dimension, via a spell that Clouse found (on the internet of all places), but not before she convinced Morro to give her some tips on how to defeat his other self. Gin refused to leave Garmadon, so he and Misako, in a sense, adopted her, training her along with the other students. And Indigo wasn't going anywhere. The only home she'd ever known was the dark alleys of New Ninjago City, and there was no way she was going back there. So she and Daggerclaws moved into the room next to Morro's. The ninja and co. slipped into an easy, casual, lifestyle not unlike the rest of Ninjago. Sleep, eat, train, play video games. They never dreamed that some of their old enemies might be out to get them.

But they were.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"Unhand me, you buffoons! Do you know who I am?!" Master Chen demanded as he was dragged across uneven ground by a pair of ghosts.

"A human." Chen looked up to see a masked ghost with a bow and arrow hovering in front of him. "And those don't belong in the Cursed Realm. I made a mistake with the last people I caught here. I won't again." the archer drew an arrow and fitted it to his bow. Chen's eyes widened as he realized what the ghost was doing.

"W-wait!" he exclaimed. "The last people you caught here? You must mean the Ninja and their friends! I'm an enemy of theirs too!" the ghost paused.

"Go on."

"They've thwarted me multiple times in the past! I can help you get revenge on them!" Chen said eagerly.

"I would like to get rid of them..." the archer mused. "But how? They've blocked the portal out of the Realm."

"Tell your men to let me go." Chen ordered. "Then I'll tell you." the archer nodded to the ghosts holding Chen's arms and they let go, making Chen lose his balence and fall face-first onto the ground. "Ow. Thanks. The name's Chen." he held out a hand to the ghost, who shook it.

"Soul Archer." the ghost replied. "Now, how do you suggest we get to that portal?"

"Oh, I have a friend who I think can help with that." Chen grinned. "And I think he would be more than willing to give us a hand with the ninja as well."

"Oh? Who is he?" Soul Archer asked. Chen smiled.

"He usually goes by "The Overlord"."

* * *

 **The end.**

 **...**

 **What? You think I'm evil? Ah, whatever. I'll probably start the sequel in... *checks calendar* a long time.**

 **FFF: Well... we don't have... any questions... again...  
Kai: Something wrong?  
FFF: No... well... yeah... I'm suffering from... PFDS.  
Lloyd: What's that?  
FFF: Post Fanfiction Depression Syndrome.  
Lloyd: Oh. Well... maybe these will help.  
FFF: O.O ONE SHOT IDEAS YAY  
Lloyd: That worked fast.  
Kai: As long as she's gone, maybe we can tell you about the stories she plans to write in the future.  
FFF: DON'T TELL THEM THE PLOT FOR THE NEXT ONE!  
Kai: Right. Well, the next one is about Garmadon and Morro. But we can't tell you the plot.  
Lloyd: And sometime after that she's planning on writing a Lord of the Rings AU called "Overlord of the Rings".  
Overlord: Clever.  
Lloyd: AAH!  
Kai: Hey! Get out of here! You're scaring Lloyd!  
Overlord: Fine.  
Lloyd: Cough. Anyway. I'm the main character, as Frodo, Kai is Sam, Cole is Aragorn, Zane is Legolas, and Jay is Gimli. Morro is Gollum, Sensei Wu is Gandalf, Nya is Arwen...  
** **FFF: I'm not sure about Merry and Pippin yet. Maybe Darreth.  
** **Darreth: Yes! I finally get a good part!  
FFF: MAYBE. And it won't follow the plot of LotR EXACTLY, but it'll be about the same. And it'll be the movies, not the books, 'cause I watch those more. The Overlord will be Sauron, Chen will be Saruman, the Skulkin will be the orcs and the Stone Samurai will be the Uruk-hai. And the goblins will be Serpentine.  
Lloyd: Fun.  
FFF: Well, bye everyone and see you next book! Keep an eye on the one-shots, 'cause I'll be writing quite a few of those soon. And give me ideas for them, too.  
Lloyd: Bye!  
Kai: Bye!  
Overlord: Bye!  
Kai: GO AWAY**

 ** _The End_**


	55. Character Profiles

**Well, I decided I should put some profiles for the main OCs here so you can get to know them better. I put one for Morro in here too, because he's obviously very different from when he was in the show. I also put a blank thing here in case someone wants to use it.**

 **Name:  
Age:  
Appearance:  
Personality:  
Likes:  
Dislikes:  
Fears:  
Powers/weapons:  
Backstory:  
Hobbies:  
Other:**

* * *

Name: Indigo  
Age: 21  
Appearance: (human) Dark brown skin, black, scruffy, uneven shoulder-length hair, dark blue eyes. Very short. (ghost) Pale green skin, black hair that glows slightly green, blue-green eyes. Still short.  
Personality: (human) Talkative, friendly around other people, quieter when she's alone or with a close friend(s). (ghost) Quiet, shy, clingy, won't talk to people she doesn't know.  
Likes: Hugs, Daggerclaws, ice cream, Morro.  
Dislikes: Dark, cold places, Tara.  
Fears: Small spaces, not being accepted.  
Powers/weapons: Master of Void.  
Backstory: Go read Chapter 33 again.  
Hobbies: Reading, playing with cats, swimming (only as a human).  
Other: She's a ghost, if you haven't already figured that out.

Name: Tara  
Age: 27  
Appearance: Long, straight black hair, tan skin, green eyes, pink lips, wears tan shorts, a blue sleeveless shirt, and a red hood.  
Personality: Sarcastic, manipulative, loyal to those she loves.  
Likes: Killing people who annoy her.  
Dislikes: Indigo, Ronin.  
Fears: Being caught, imprisonment.  
Powers/weapons: Uses a whip and various knives.  
Backstory: Go read read A Troubling Past. I don't feel like writing it here. I'M SUFFERING FROM PFDS GIMME A BREAK  
Hobbies: Stabbing people, target practice.  
Other: None.

Name: Li Ming  
Age: 14  
Appearance: Black hair in twin ponytails, dark brown eyes, pale skin.  
Personality: Quiet, sweet, firm when she needs to be, secretly a total tomboy.  
Likes: Tara, Alex, music.  
Dislikes: Her friends being hurt.  
Fears: The moon.  
Powers/weapons: A broom.  
Backstory: Grew up with her parents in Limong.  
Hobbies: Unknown  
Other: She has a horse named Gleam, that doesn't actually show up in the story. She can also scream loud enough to break glass.

Name: Kayson Dawn Miles  
Age: 14  
Appearance: Black, spiky hair not unlike Kai's. Ocean-blue eyes, super pale skin, wears a bronze necklace.  
Personality: Extremely mysterious, gets confused easily, make him mad, you will have black pepper in your eyes everyday, never eats, rarely talks, sneaky, agile. But deep down, he's a nice, kind, and a super lonely person, loves to wander around places.  
Likes: Fighting, music, daydreaming, Kai.  
Dislikes: Getting up early, pranks.  
Fears: Tight spaces, drowning, death.  
Powers/weapons: Artificial liquid-fire powers gotten from a relic.  
Backstory: His parents died when he was young, and he lived with his grandmother until she died from cancer. He then left and lived on his own ever since, wandering around Ninjago.  
Hobbies: Listening to music, singing.  
Other: He's a good friend of Kai.

Name: Alexander Wilson  
Age: 14  
Appearance: Neon green eyes, white hair pulled into a low ponytail, pale skin, pink lips, wears a flute-shaped necklace.  
Personality: Usually kind, sweet, and meek, but can be very stubborn if he wants to be.  
Likes: Playing the flute, singing, humming, anything to do with music.  
Dislikes: Loud noise and craziness, being tricked.  
Fears: Fire.  
Powers/weapons: Elemental Master of Music, meaning that he can use music to influence his enemies emotions and hurt them. He also wields a Bo staff.  
Backstory: His parents died when he was young, and he took care of his siblings until they were taken in by another family. He then left to wander the world.  
Hobbies: Playing music.  
Other: None

Name: Gin Nozomi  
Age: 7  
Appearance: Pale skin, chocolate-brown hair with a silver streak, lilac eyes, freckles.  
Personality: Bouncy, cheerful, sweet, protective of those she loves.  
Likes: Garmadon, running.  
Dislikes: Not being able to eat, evil ghosts.  
Fears: Starvation.  
Powers/weapons: None.  
Backstory: Has lived in the Cursed Realm for as long as she can remember. Met Garmadon a few days after he was banished there, and took care of him until the Ninja came and rescued him.  
Hobbies: Reading, training.  
Other: None.

Name: Andreea Hikaru Kibo  
Age: 16  
Appearance: Brown eyes, long, straight brown hair in a high ponytail.  
Personality: Friendly, positive, gets angry easily and will attack those who hurt those she loves.  
Likes: Lloyd, fighting, singing.  
Dislikes: Makeup, high heels, when Lloyd is hurt.  
Fears: Lloyd being hurt/killed.  
Powers/weapons: Elemental Master of Diamond, which means she can create light and heal people, and a gold sword with diamonds in it.  
Backstory: Her home was burned when she was young, and she thought her family was dead. Eventually she was found by the ninja and joined them as the pink ninja/kunoichi. She was found to be the Elemental Master of Diamond after the Overlord was defeated for the first time. In her universe, Morro changed the scrolls in Cloud Kingdom and made himself the Green Ninja instead of Lloyd. This messed up the past and Morro eventually freed the Preeminent and cursed Ninjago. He tried to send Andreea to the Cursed Realm, but accidentally sent her to a alternate timeline instead.  
Hobbies: Fighting, singing.  
Other: She's from an alternate timeline.

Name: Jessica Danger  
Age: 15  
Appearance: Shoulder-length brown hair with swept-to-the-side bangs, dark brown eyes, tanned skin, short and thin.  
Personality: Very outgoing and talkative.  
Likes: Drawing, candy.  
Dislikes: Blood.  
Fears: Tight spaces (a lot)  
Powers/weapons: A double-sided axe.  
Backstory: Grew up with very overprotective parents, ran away from home when she was 14. Became an acrobat/daredevil and was found by the Ninja in Mt. Vetruvius.  
Hobbies: Training, doing crazy tricks and feats.  
Other: Her motto is "Never give up!"

Name: Morro  
Age: 30 something  
Appearance: Hopefully you know what Morro looks like. If you don't, look at the cover for the fanfic.  
Personality: Quiet, sad, untrusting.  
Likes: Lloyd, Indigo, flying.  
Dislikes: Water, most people.  
Fears: Water, his friends being hurt.  
Powers/weapons: Elemental Master of Wind.  
Backstory: Grew up an orphan until he was found and trained by Sensei Wu. After hearing that he might be the green ninja, though, he became proud and resentful and was enraged when he wasn't chosen. He went and did stupid things for a while before he left to find the Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master. He died in the Caves of Despair and went to the Cursed Realm. About 15 years later, he escaped the Cursed Realm and possessed Lloyd in the hopes of freeing the Preeminent to get his revenge on Ninjago. He failed and was sent back to the Cursed Realm. He escaped again a little while later, and accidently came across Lloyd, who befriended him. He then set off with the ninja to go rescue Lloyd's father, who was in the Cursed Realm. Along the way he met Indigo, whom he fell in love with.  
Hobbies: Flying.  
Other: He's a ghost.

* * *

 **And now, we'll have some stats.**

 **Words in RttCR (not counting this chapter): 108,255  
Pages on paper: 350  
Reviews: 394  
Took 58 days to write  
Number of people asking for a sequel: 3 or 4 so far  
How many times the ninja interrupted me while I was working on this: Lost count**

 **And there you have it. I woulda gotten this out earlier but MORRO KNOCKED OUT POWER WITH HIS DARN WINDSTORM**


	56. Legacy Chapter 1

**Legacy chapters! Because it sounds better than "old chapters I wrote when I couldn't write as well".**

 **Anyway enjoy.**

* * *

Lloyd Garmadon was the Green Ninja.

It was pretty cool sometimes. He got to fight bad guys and he had awesome powers. Awesome friends, too. He couldn't imagine life without his brothers, Kai, Jay, Zane, and Cole.

But it wasn't all fun and games. Sometimes the bad guy won, and he was injured. Or worse, his friends were. Sometimes he wished that whenever he went... well, anywhere, he wasn't swamped by fans wanting an autograph, a picture, or worse, a kiss (bleh). Sometimes someone very close to him was gone. Forever.

The particular instance that Lloyd was thinking of, as he wandered aimlessly through a complex of alleys on the west side of New Ninjago City trying to hide from the rest of the world, was his father.

Montgomery Garmadon, Lloyd's father, had sacrificed himself for the good of Ninjago a little under a year ago. Not by dying, but by sending himself to the Cursed Realm, one of the sixteen realms of the universe that was almost completely populated by ghosts.

Until it was destroyed.

The last time Lloyd had seen his father was about three months ago. After a little incident where Lloyd was possessed by a vengeful spirit named Morro who was intent on cursing the entire realm of Ninjago, he had visited the Cursed Realm briefly and found his father, chained and on his knees. He had tried to free his father, but the chains were unbreakable. After a brief but heartfelt conversation, Lloyd had escaped from the realm via a portal and ultimately helped destroy the Preeminent, the physical embodiment of the Cursed Realm, with his father still inside.

Lloyd had relied heavily on his family the past few months for comfort and support. The rest of his family was devastated as well, but no one was as affected as Lloyd. His father had been more of his best friend than his guardian. Lloyd would never understand people who disliked their fathers.

Lloyd was torn from his thoughts when he heard a metallic clatter nearby. He jumped to his feet, hand instinctively moving to pull his ninja hood over his face. However, he wasn't wearing it, as he had been trying to avoid being recognized as the Green Ninja. He settled for pulling the hood from the sweater he was wearing over his head and flattened himself against the alley wall. The clang sounded again. Lloyd inched towards the noise, unsure of what to expect. As the noise sounded a third time, Lloyd peeked around the corner. A slightly-glowing figure was rifling through a trash can. As soon as he saw Lloyd, he dashed into another alley, but not before Lloyd could recognize him. The tattered robes, the ghostly glow, the green streak through his jet-black hair... Lloyd gasped.

"Morro?"

* * *

 **~FFF**


	57. Legacy Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Morro?" Lloyd asked in disbelief.

"Go away." Morro muttered in response.

"What are you doing here?" Lloyd persisted. "Sensei said he saw you... re-die."

"None of your business." Morro hissed, backing farther away from the Green Ninja.

"I won't hurt you." Lloyd edged closer. Morro was silent. After a moment, Lloyd asked, "How did you survive?"

"I said that's none of your business! Leave me alone!" Morro turned and fled into a passage.

"Wait...!" Lloyd started to go after him, but stopped and sighed. How could he get Morro to trust him? After a few moments, the Green Ninja turned around and left, not noticing a pair of grey-green eyes watching from the darkness...

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Lloyd walked into his father's monastery (where the Ninja were currently residing) to find his family eating a delicious smelling supper. The first one to spot him was the Black Ninja of Earth, Cole Bucket, who cheerfully shouted,

"Hey Lloyd!" which instantly caught the others' attention. "You got here just in time! Come have some of Zane's awesome puffy pot stickers!" Cole continued. Lloyd shook his head slowly.

"No thanks, guys. I'm not hungry." Lloyd said, and quickly retreated to his room. Cole frowned.

"That's weird. Lloyd's always hungry after hiding for a while."

"Technically that is not true, Cole." Zane Roberts, the mechanical Ninja of Ice corrected him. "Excluding this instance, Lloyd is hungry after hiding approximately 84.2% of the time."

"It's just an expression. I wonder what's up." Cole mused.

"Up? The ceiling is up, but I do not see how that is relevant to the conversation." Zane looked confused.

"Just an expression, buddy. Y'know, you'd think that after all these years youd've figured that one out." Jay Walker, the Ninja of Lightning, grinned and put his arm around Zane's shoulders.

"I'm going to talk to him." Tommy Wu, the Ninja's Sensei and Lloyd's uncle, stood up from the head of the table and walked away towards his nephew's room.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

"Lloyd?" Lloyd looked up as he heard a soft knock on his bedroom door.

"Come in." Lloyd smiled slightly as his uncle entered the room and closed the door behind him.

"Something bothering you?" Sensei asked.

Lloyd nodded, then took a deep breath. "I saw Morro." Sensei blinked.

"Morro? You're sure?"

"Positive. I talked to him. He ran away, though."

"...well." Sensei stroked his beard in wonder.

"I don't think he's really bad." Lloyd continued, rambling a bit. "I mean, he did possess me and try to curse Ninjago, and all that, but you said at the he... I don't know. Acted good." Lloyd lifted his head to meet his uncle's eyes. "Uncle... if Morro's alive... could that mean my father is too?" Lloyd's expression reminded Sensei that, no matter how much he didn't look like one, he was still a child.

"I... don't know." Sensei said finally. "But there is certainly hope." He pulled his nephew into an embrace that was happily returned.

"...Uncle?" Lloyd's voice was slightly muffle from being pressed into Sensei's chest.

"Yes Lloyd?"

"How do I get Morro to trust me?" Lloyd pulled away slightly, meeting Sensei's grey eyes with his bright green ones.

"Well..." Sensei mused. "When I first met Morro, I gave him food to gain his trust."

"I could give him food?" Lloyd frowned slightly. "What do ghosts eat?"

"The same things people eat, I believe." Sensei replied, smiling. Lloyd smiled back.

"Next time I see him, I'll give him something to eat. Maybe he'll warm up to me." Lloyd decided. He and his uncle hugged for a minute more before Lloyd announced, "Speaking of food, I'm hungry. I hope Cole didn't eat all the food." He grinned, and he and Sensei walked back to the dining area for their meal.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Lloyd walk silently through the alleys where he had first seen Morro. He was wearing a simple green jacket and jeans, as he didn't want to scare Morro away with his Ninja suit. In one hand he was clutching a shiny green apple. It had been almost a week since his talk with Sensei and he was finally ready to put his plan into action. He couldn't deny that he was nervous, though. If he was really honest with himself, he was afraid of Morro. Though, who wouldn't be afraid of a person who lived in their head and used their body to hurt their friends? Lloyd hadn't brought any weapons, not wanting to scare Morro, but if Morro fought him then Lloyd would almost certainly lose. Hence the nervousness. Lloyd was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost didn't notice the soft patter of footsteps nearby. He quickly snapped into a Ninja stance and stepped forward cautiously. Hearing footsteps again, he resisted the urge to flatten himself against the wall and instead continued forward, slowly but steadily. He heard a clatter and was struck by deja vu for a moment, but shook it off and turned the corner. To his relief, he saw Morro standing with his back turned to him. After a moment, Lloyd spoke up.

"Morro?" Morro started violently and spun around, pale green eyes wide. "Sorry," Lloyd said quickly, mentally comparing Morro to a cat with its fur standing on end.

"W-what are you doing here?! I told you to go away!" Morro stuttered slightly as he tried to slow his breathing. After a moment, Lloyd shyly held out the apple.

"I brought you something." Morro's angry expression expression faded as he stared at the green fruit. After almost a minute, he took a tentative step towards Lloyd and took the apple, quickly stepping away. Lloyd once again mentally compared him to a skittish cat.

"...thank you." Morro said quietly, before slinking back into the darkness with his prize. Lloyd let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding and resisted the urge to whoop with excitement. He then turned around and went home.

Somewhere nearby, a figure watched from the darkness...

* * *

 **Remember how I used to be like "DRAMA! ROMANCE! BLOODSHED!" at the end of every chapter**

 **that was wild**

 **~FFF**


	58. Legacy Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Over the next couple of weeks, Lloyd and Morro developed a strained friendship. Every couple of days Lloyd would bring Morro food, and Morro grew less and less jumpy around him. However, he still refused to tell Loyd anything about how he had gotten there. In fact, every time Lloyd asked him he would shake his head and vanish into an alley. Because of this, Lloyd was no closer to finding out if his father was alive then when he had started. Finally, Lloyd decided to try a different tactic. On the 19th day since he first brought food to Morro, Lloyd brought two green apples to Morro's alley. Morro was waiting for him, and when he came Morro jumped off the box that he had been sitting on and took the apples from Lloyd. Muttering his thanks, he sat back down on the box and began to eat one of the apples. Lloyd hesitated for a moment before asking, "Morro, do you like living in an alley?" Morro paused his eating and gave him a strange look.

"Of course not. It's dark, it's cold, and it's hard to find anything to eat. Why, do you want to live here?" he asked sarcastically.

Lloyd shook his head quickly. "No, I was just wondering if you wanted to come live with me." Lloyd held his breath as he waited for Morro to respond. Morro frowned.

"Live with you? What do you mean by that?"

"Not, like, in the same room as me. I'm just saying, there's plenty of room at Da- at the monastery." Lloyd felt a pang of sadness at the memory of his father.

"Who else lives there?" Morro asked, taking another bite of the apple.

"Um, Sensei, Mom, the other Ninja, Nya, and..." Lloyd paused. "A few students, too. Tellen, Ness, and Anna, I think." Morro thought for a few moments.

"I could use a place to sleep... with a roof." Morro glances warily at the threatening clouds overhead.

"You'd be free to come and go whenever you wanted." Lloyd offered. Morro stared sideways at him.

"Why are you offering me all this? Do you want something from me?" Suspicion showed clearly in Morro's grey-green eyes.

"N-no!" Lloyd said quickly. "I'm just worried about you, living here in the worst part of this city. It's just what friends do." Morro seemed to calm down.

"Fine. Yes. I would like to live with you." Morro replied awkwardly. "Thanks." he quickly resumed eating his apple. Lloyd smiled and began the walk home.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

A sharp hiss resounded in the darkness, followed by a soothing hush. "Shh, Daggerclaws. Not yet. Wait until he's alone... and unprepared." A smooth female voice murmured. "Then we can get him. Okay?" The voice was followed a moment later by a high-pitched giggle. "Stop tickling me! I'll get you for that!" and light footsteps echoed into silence.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

At the Garmadon Monastery, Ninja and co. were eating dinner. Two of Sensei's students, Tellen and Anna, were bickering over which of them was best at Spinjitzu.

"I'm obviously the best." 12-year-old Tellen said in his best authoritative voice. "I've gone through the training course over thirty times."

"That just means you're a slow learner!" 10-year-old Anna chirped. "I mastered it after only twelve tries!" Ness rolled her eyes and sighed overdramatically.

"None of us can even DO Spinjitzu, you dweebs. Every time we spin, we _fall over_." Tellen and Anna blinked.

"Yeah, but if we could, I'd be the best!" Anna squealed triumphantly, rekindling the argument. Kai Smith, the Red Ninja of Fire, groaned and let his head fall into his hands.

"Are you EVER going to stop?! I feel a headache coming on!" Nya, Kai's sister and the Ninja of Water, smiled and patted her brother's shoulder.

"Why don't you kids ask Zane? I'm sure he could figure out who is- I mean, who would be that best." The students quickly turned to Zane, who clarified that Anna was the best of them at Spinjitzu. This effectively halted that argument, but they soon started to argue about which bad guy was scariest instead. It was then that Lloyd decided to speak up.

"So, guys. As you know, I've been bringing food to Morro, who's been living in an alley, for a few weeks now, right?" the others murmured their agreement, for Lloyd had told them this not long after he'd started, except for Zane, who said,

"Technically it has been two weeks and five days since you first brought food to Morro."

"Yeah, well, today I invited Morro to come live us. And he accepted." Lloyd winced as the chaos he anticipated filled the room.

"He can't live with us! He's a ghost!" Jay sputtered.

"I'M a ghost." Cole glared at the blue ninja.

"More to the point, what if he's still evil? What if he possesses one of us and tries to take over the world again?" Kai argued.

"I trust Morro." Lloyd said firmly. "And if he does possess one of us, well, we have a Water Ninja" He gestured to Nya. " and the Sword of Sanctuary. We beat him once, we can beat him again." After a moment, he added, "Everyone deserves a second chance." In the moment of silence that followed, a crack of thunder resounded through the monastery.

"Wasn't me," Jay said quickly. Ignoring him, Lloyd jumped up from his seat and ran off to find Morro.

ReturnToTheCursedRealm

Lloyd opened to door, about to head for Morro's alley, but stopped short when he saw Morro himself walking up the front walk,m wearing a light cloak over his regular clothes and panting slightly from exertion. He looked surprised at seeing Lloyd standing in the doorway.

"Morro! I was just about to go look for you! Quick, come in here." Lloyd moved out of the doorway and Morro dashed inside, wincing as a drop of rain hit him on the way in. He was just in time, for a few moments later lightning split the sky and the heavens opened, drenching the city with rain. Lloyd closed the door and turned around to see Morro inspecting the inside of the monastery cautiously. "Come on, I'll bring you to an empty room." Lloyd smiled at the ghost boy and began walking down a long passage, Morro following. After climbing a flight of stairs and going through quite a few long passages, they ended up in a semi-large bedroom. It had a small bed and a chest of drawers, as well as a large window. Morro stood in the doorway for a moment, taking all this in, before walking inside slowly. After a moment, he turned to Lloyd and said,

"Thank you."

"The window can be opened, so when it stops raining you can leave without using the front door." Lloyd said helpfully. "G'night." And he closed the door, leaving Morro to explore his new room. Almost as soon as he did, the lights flickered and went out. Before Lloyd had a chance to do anything, Jay's voice floated up the stairs.

"Okay, that time it was me."

* * *

 **lloyd**

 **morro can go through walls**

 **~FFF**


End file.
